


Balance

by DivergenceCatalyst



Category: DCU, Dangan Ronpa - All Media Types, Young Justice (Cartoon)
Genre: Character Death, Explicit Language, Gen, Mystery, Survival
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2015-05-08
Updated: 2017-02-24
Packaged: 2018-03-29 15:41:08
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: Major Character Death
Chapters: 7
Words: 33,082
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/3901789
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/DivergenceCatalyst/pseuds/DivergenceCatalyst
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Sixteen young heroes find themselves trapped with no memory of how they got there. Under an unknown figure, they are forced into an eternal communal life cut off from the rest of the world. However, they are given one ultimatum in order to escape: "You must kill someone if you want to leave." As the days pass and the body count rises, will these people still be able to call themselves heroes?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Prologue: Orientation

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally posted to FF.net but I decided to change the host site to AO3 for better control of comments/reviews.
> 
> I do politely ask that readers avoid posting major spoilers for this story if you decide to comment (as more chapters are added), particularly things like who dies, how they die, etc. Given the nature of this story, this might make writing comments difficult, but I don't want any potential readers checking out what others are saying about this and finding out "X dies" or "Y survives" before they even started reading yet. That pretty much takes away some of the surprises and/or mysteries. So I will be deleting any spoiler-iffic comments unless you can edit them before I catch them. Anything else is fair game, even a comment that just says "This story is godawful. Please purge it from this site ASAP".
> 
> UPDATE (May 15, 2015): I already have material for the next two chapters, but real life issues that I've regrettably been neglecting are preventing me from finishing/polishing them.

**DAY 0**

* * *

Washington, D.C.

July 4

14:00 EDT

* * *

_Today is the day._

The Hall of Justice, headquarters of the Justice League. They were finally here! Wally didn't even care that he and his mentor were the last duo to arrive anymore. Ever since before becoming Kid Flash—ever since he was a child—Wally always dreamed of stepping inside the Hall. Of course some areas were public access, but Wally was fantasizing about the _real_ inner sanctum.

There would be a meeting room with a giant table and seats reserved for Earth's greatest heroes. He knew Uncle Barry sat at the end next to Hal, but Wally hoped he would at least get a seat next to his friends. At least then he'd get to play off Dick's comments. And knowing him, that would be every other minute.

At the center would be a monitor womb for coordinating global events. He could just imagine the rotating hologram of Earth with blinking beacons indicating natural disasters or supervillain attacks. Or what about the overhead lights switching red with sirens going off in the event of a major crisis? Wally would have to make sure he is the first out to respond if he wanted uphold his reputation as a speedster.

Underground would be a huge hanger or transport bay to dispatch heroes to crisis spots around the planet. He always questioned if Wonder Woman's invisible jet was legit or some dumb internet rumor. That would be the first place he'd check out. Wally absolutely could not let Roy win their bet, especially not after they kept upping the ante every year.

And if Wally actually said all of this out loud, Dick would probably just say he watched too many movies—which was technically true. But it's the _Justice League_ he was talking about! With their resources, the possibilities were endless!

Still, Wally had to admit he was nervous. The day Barry told him about being "granted access" to the League Hall caught the teen hero completely off guard. And this was right after single-handedly apprehending four of the Rogues in one fell swoop. It was icing on the cake! Sweet delicious icing...

The teenage heroes—Wally, Dick, Kaldur, and Roy—and their respective mentors were now walking down the Hall's courtyard. The center aisle had already been cleared for their arrival. All it was missing was the red carpet. Tourists behind orange ropes were eagerly taking pictures and shouting questions. The others continued walking, but Wally snuck in a few poses. Of course, he did them so fast that the only person who noticed was Barry who simply responded with a light encouraging pat on the back.

Wally winced when a woman called him "Flash Junior"—why does no one ever get it right?—but he soon chuckled when another person corrected her with "Speedy". He shot a quick glance at the red archer to see his reaction but it seems he was too preoccupied speaking with Green Arrow.

"I'm glad we're all here," said Kaldur.

"Have all four sidekicks ever been in the same place at the same time?" said Wally.

"Don't call us sidekicks," Roy said angrily. "Not after today..."

"Sorry..."

Couldn't Roy have been a little bit peppier? It was a big day after all. Or maybe it was his way of being nervous? He never recalled many moments where Roy looked genuinely happy, not including times they were beating up bad guys.

"First time at the Hall," Wally said to Dick, "I'm a little overwhelmed."

"You're overwhelmed. Freeze was underwhelmed. Why isn't anyone ever just whelmed?"

"Okay...?" Wally just grinned and continued walking. " _You and your word play obsession_...”

This was it! His dream—their dream—would become reality in a matter of seconds. Yet for this speedster, they were some of the slowest seconds of his life.

**Three...**

They entered the main hall containing the founder memorial, a row of giant bronze statues depicting the initial members of the League: Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Flash, Green Lantern, Aquaman, and Martian Manhunter. Directly underneath the Man of Steel was a steel door labeled "Authorized Personnel Only".

**Two...**

The doors opened and out came Martian Manhunter with Red Tornado behind him. Wally was personally hoping it would've been Superman or Wonder Woman. On the bright side, at least it was a founder and veteran member of the Justice Society from back when Barry was his age.

**One...**

"Robin, Speedy, Aqualad, Kid Flash... Welcome."

The two League members turned around, cueing the others to follow them inside. However, Wally suddenly found himself unable to move his legs. Was he really that nervous? Not even fear held him back before when he helped Dick fight Scarecrow or that one time he and Barry fought Sinestro. But then Wally realized he can't even move the rest of his body.

" _What the!? H-Hey, guys! Wait up! I can't-!_ "

He couldn't speak either, only think. He tried mentally shouting hoping Martian Manhunter would be able to hear him through telepathy or sense his distress, but the others continued walking without even turning their heads.

" _What's going on!? I... I..._ "

His vision swirled and steadily turned black as he felt his body falling. As his consciousness faded, he began hearing barely audible words. None of them made sense. Were they even English? However, there were a few words that were much clearer than the others.

_"Crash"_

_"Order"_

_"Hope"_

_"Light"_

_"Truth"_

Wally's eyes snapped open as he quickly sat up from a bed heavily gasping. He immediately reeled back, clasping his wildly throbbing head. It wasn't a normal headache; the intensity was magnitudes higher than anything he had ever experienced. Wally groaned loudly, clutching the pillow and biting his lip to divert the pain but it provided little relief. Fortunately the sensation began fading and Wally could breathe normally again. After regaining his senses, he examined his surroundings.

It was a small bedroom containing basic utilities: a desk, some chairs, a row of drawers, and multiple shelves. The walls and roof were hollowed-out rock with sections of reinforced steel—he was probably somewhere underground. There were two doors, each on opposite ends of the room. Wally assumed the one in the corner lead to a private bathroom. He stood up and walked towards the other door only for it to barely budge when he turned the knob.

Wally then heard a short beep and looked up. He spotted a rotating surveillance camera mounted next to the corner of the door frame. He squinted trying to find a logo or some kind of markings but with no luck. Wally was also discouraged by the red siren resting atop the camera's main body. Now he couldn't risk making run for it, especially when he doesn't know the building's layout or what was even on the other side.

"Might as well check out the bathroom..."

It was actually a shower room once he turned on the lights, tiled and very clean—no camera thankfully. A sliding glass door lead into a fairly large shower stall. Next to it was a sink, but Wally was taken aback when he looked into the mirror mounted directly above it.

The mirror revealed Wally West, not Kid Flash. Wally quickly examined himself and realized he was no longer in costume. He had somehow changed into his civvies. Or maybe someone else did it? Wally then recalled what happened at the Hall of Justice. He probably fell unconscious and the others brought him here to recover.

But that still didn't explain the locked door. Or why nobody was here to greet him. Or why nobody else has even shown up despite that camera constantly monitoring him. Just as he attempted coming up with an explanation, a digital tone reminiscent of a school bell echoed throughout the room. Man, he hated that noise—except when it meant the school day was over, of course.

**"Ah, you've finally awakened. The door to your room has been unlocked. Please make your way towards the central chamber. We will begin once everyone has gathered."**

There was something familiar about that deep voice yet Wally shrugged it off and dashed towards the front door. He was relieved to know his powers still worked, but he soon told himself to suppress them now that he was just Wally West.

He opened the door into a long hallway. Doors identical to his own lined each wall in both directions, some of them already left open. A quick sweep revealed them to be empty but with signs of recent occupants such as opened drawers and slightly warm unmade beds.

Wally soon left to search for the central chamber, following some faint sounds that were reaching the hallway. He eventually heard voices, definitely a crowd. Then there was shouting with an occasional loud echo of something striking the floor. Was a fight breaking out? Wally hastened his pace to a metal door which opened automatically.

"Hey! Stop it already! There's no need to fight!"

"Tell that to him! He's the one who started it!"

Dick? Wally was positive that was his voice.

A group of teenagers were gathered in the large hall, anxiously watching a three-way brawl. One of the participants was Dick–as in Richard Grayson himself and not the Boy Wonder. Wally had almost forgotten what he looked like under that mask. His opponents were boys of similar ages if not a year or two older.

The first boy scowled, almost as if ready to kill Dick if his guard fell. He dressed in a red hoodie and green cargo pants. During a short exchange of blows, Dick had managed to pull down his hood and reveal his face. If Wally hadn't been paying attention, he swore he could've mistaken him for a very angry Dick with a different hairstyle.

The other boy merely stared, bewildered by his opponents. He had short black hair and dressed in a red and black sports jacket and black pants. He was calmly maintaining a martial arts stance, waiting for someone to act. It seemed he was on Dick's side judging by how he moved to intercept the hostile boy's charges at the acrobat, but he still kept his distance from both of them.

Wally quickly approached a nearby group of girls. "Woah, woah, woah! What's going on here?"

"That guy in the hoodie just starting attacking him," said a girl with long dark hair. She was dressed in a school uniform, but it didn’t have any identifying logos. "The guy in the jacket tried to break it up but-"

"Stay out of this!" shouted the hoodie boy. "This guy's an impostor!"

"Me?" said Dick. "Where'd you learn those moves? The only ones who're supposed to know them are-!"

"Hey, c'mon!" said the jacket boy. "Let's just calm down and talk this out."

The hoodie boy pointed at him. "You're not exactly free of suspicion either! Don't think I haven't noticed your techniques too!"

The three resumed their struggle as everyone else watched. Wally took a few steps forward but stopped when he noticed Kaldur a few meters behind Dick. Tilting his head, the Atlantean directed the speedster's attention to Roy who was positioning himself behind the hoodie boy. That placed Wally behind the last one. On a silent synchronized count, they charged forward.

Unfortunately these guys were trained. Wally and Roy were both grabbed after their respective targets leaped over them. Dick, having realized their plan, allowed himself to be captured and quickly told Kaldur to launch him towards the hoodie boy. The Atlantean immediately complied as Roy quickly swung himself and his captor around. The hoodie boy was too off balance to react. Dick and his friends soon had him pinned to the ground.

Meanwhile, Wally was still restrained. He contemplated using his powers to vibrate his arms, but he was released before coming to a decision.

"Sorry," said the jacket boy. "Things were getting hectic. I was a little tense."

"It's...no problem," Wally said rubbing his wrists. He glanced towards his friends still restraining the hoodie boy. "Hey! You guys all right?"

"Couldn't be better!" Roy said narrowly avoiding a kick. "Hey! Watch it, punk!"

"Why are you guys helping him!?" shouted the hoodie boy. "That's not Dick Grayson!"

Kaldur and Roy glanced at each other while Dick tightened his grip.

He knew Dick's identity. And the way he said it did not imply he just meant Dick Grayson, adopted son of billionaire playboy, Bruce Wayne. As the protégé of Batman, Dick worked hard to keep his secret. To have it spoken out loud to a crowd of people was a serious blow to his pride.

Wally approached the boy and crouched down. "Who told you?" he asked coldly.

"C'mon, Wally! What's with the attitude? You, of all people, should know this bastard ain't Dick!"

The four friends' eyes went wide. He knew Wally's name too? Wally worriedly looked at Dick who responded with the most insulted frown he's ever seen.

"Start talking," Roy said twisting the boy's leg. "Who are you?"

"Argh...! What is wrong with you guys!? It's me! Jason! Jason Todd!"

"...Pardon?" said Aqualad. "I'm afraid I do not know any Jasons."

"Really, Kaldur? Now you're just fucking with me!"

"'Fraid not," said Dick. "But at least tell me this, why do you think I'm an impostor?"

"Because Dick Grayson ain't some damn kid!"

"Speak for yourself," muttered Roy.

The hoodie boy directed his attention to the crowd of people closing in. "Hey! I'm sure at least one of you follows the news! Who's Dick Grayson to you?"

The others stared at each other, waiting for someone to speak up.

"Um, isn't he the kid of that Wayne guy?" asked one of the girls. "Not much stuff about him after news of Wayne adopting him died down."

"Yeah, and how old is he supposed to be?

"I dunno. I think I was still in kindergarten when that story broke out."

"Wait, what? But that means you're...?" He looked around at everyone this time. "Hey, what year is it?"

"Uh, 2015. Why?"

"Don't you mean 2016?" asked another boy. "It's okay. I always make that mistake for a while after New Year’s."

"New Year’s? It's the middle of May."

"Uh, isn't it October?" asked a different boy.

Everyone began reciting the date they last recalled. The earliest was July 4, 2010 to Wally's relief. The rest fell between now and February 20, 2016. However, one of the boys claimed to be from 2056.

"Okay. Something's definitely not right here."

"Did we all...time travel somehow?"

"C'mon! Is that even possible?"

"Theoretically," said Wally. He recalled having a discussion with Barry about time travel though his uncle never went too much into the specifics. "But regular Earth technology isn't advanced enough to create the theorized conditions."

"What about tech from the Green Lantern Corps or the Hawks?" asked Roy.

"Even if they did have it, I doubt they could give it to us without breaking some kind of intergalactic law or something. Maybe some private team made a breakthrough...?"

"Hey," said the 2056 boy, "what matters right now is how we got here. Does anyone remember? 'Cause I sure don't..."

"I was on a trip with my dad in New York City," said the uniform girl. "He wanted to introduce me to some friends of his. I remember him stepping inside one of those old phone booths but everything is hazy from there."

"I was on my way to visit my sister," said a black teen. "I remember saying goodbye to my folks over the phone but that's it. I guess I bought a bus ticket and...wound up here somehow?"

"What about you," said Roy, "uh...fish boy?"

Everyone turned their heads towards the strange humanoid among them, a few jumping back after finally noticing him. He was a green-skinned, red-eyed amphibian-like creature: claws, webbed feet, etc. He wouldn't exactly be out of place in an old horror movie. But at least he wore shorts and seemed more confused rather than malicious.

"Something on my face?" the boy asked.

"Forgive them," said Kaldur. "I believe this might be their first time interacting with an Atlantean with...your type of appearance."

The boy frowned and nervously looked away. "Oh, right. I don't like thinking about that stuff… If it makes you guys feel better, I'm still technically human. I just...have gills, hehe."

"Don't worry," said a red-haired girl dressed in very outdated clothing, more than three decades' amount of disparity. "I think I understand the feeling..."

This time everyone was taken by surprise when her skin suddenly became deep green. She was a Martian—that would explain the Eighties sitcom attire. Wally remembered Barry mentioning how he actually had to ask Aunt Iris where the old VCR was just to let J’onn watch his favorite shows, apparently very popular among Martians.

"Um hello," she said with a nervous smile and wave, "I'm M'gann M'orzz from Mars, but you can call me Megan."

"L-La'gann..." said the Atlantean, “from Atlantis.”

"Maybe we should start introducing ourselves," said the jacket boy, "so we can get a little more familiar with each other. I'm Tim Drake by the way."

"Of Drake Industries?" asked Dick. "I've been hearing they're on the rise lately."

"My dad's the owner," he said looking away, "but I'm not really interested in inheriting it..."

"Why?" asked a Latino boy with a slight, if not subtle, accent. He dressed in jeans and a light blue jacket. "Isn't Drake Industries one of the biggest companies in the market? How could you _not_ want to inherit that?"

"I...just don't want to talk about it, okay? Anyway, enough about me. What about you? From the Southwest, I presume?"

His eyes went wide but he soon chuckled to himself. "Oh, um, actually, yeah. My name's Jaime Reyes. I'm just...a regular kid from El Paso, Texas. I remember running late for school, but I blacked out after that."

"You too?" asked another girl. She was dressed in a red and white long-sleeve shirt, blue jeans, and a red headband over her long blonde hair. "Well actually, I was _leaving_ school but the same thing happened. Oh, I'm Cassie Sandsmark by the way. Sorry. I get a bit scatter-brained at times. Other than that, nothing special about me either, hehe!"

"I'm Virgil Hawkins," said the black teen. He dressed in a blue t-shirt, pants, and baseball cap with an overlaying black and yellow jacket. "I'm from up north in Dakota City. And let me just put it out there because of the stereotypes back home: I _hate_ gang violence and want _nothing_ to do with it."

"I'm Artemis," said a blonde teen with a ponytail. She was dressed in a white V-Neck, brown open jacket, and jeans. "I move around a lot because of...family issues, but right now I'm living with my mom at my old home in Gotham City. I remember her calling for me while I was in my room. I think she wanted to tell me something but like the rest of you, I blanked out at some point."

“While we’re still on the subject of Gotham City,” said Dick. He bowed courteously with a wide smile. “Richard Grayson, adopted ward of Bruce Wayne, though everyone calls me Dick. I know, it’s an old-fashion nickname, but I like it.”

“Jason,” said the hoodie boy. “Grew up on the streets of Gotham. That’s all you need to know.”

Was he serious? Being a street kid was one thing, but being a street kid in _Gotham?_ Wally had heard of the stories of unfortunate orphans. Even Dick went blue when some of them were brought up. Though that still didn't explain Jason's attire. It was way too freshly clean and maintained, almost like brand new from an expensive department store. He didn't actually steal them, did he? _  
_

“Roy Harper,” said Roy. “Nothing special about me unless you count growing up on an Indian reservation. So yeah, Thanksgiving can be a bit awkward.”

“Greetings,” said Kaldur. “My name is Kaldur’ahm. Like La’gann, I too am from the country of Atlantis, specifically the city-state of Shayeris.”

"Um, I'm Garfield Logan," said the only child among the group. He was a redhead dressed in a black t-shirt under a blue collared button shirt with black shorts. "I live with my mom on her wildlife sanctuary in Qurac. We rarely meet new people that aren’t Bialyan troops so sorry if I seem awkward. And I know my name's funny since it's the same as a cartoon cat, but you can call me Gar or Logan if you want."

“My name’s Zatanna,” said the uniform girl tugging at her shirt. “Sorry about my appearance. I just got out of school. And I guess there’s no point in hiding it but my dad’s Zatara of the Justice League.”

“ _The_ Zatara?” asked Kaldur. “I did not know he had a daughter.”

“We try to keep on the down low, but it’s kind of hard when your superhero alias is your last name,” she said with a small laugh. “I know some spells, but they’re no way as powerful as my dad’s. Speaking of which…egnahc ym sehtolc!”

Zatanna was quickly enveloped by a spontaneous smoke. When it subsided, she was wearing a new outfit: a purple top and white pants.

“Cool trick!” said Cassie. “Any chance you could teach me that? I hate that my school doesn’t have a locker room for girls. Would make changing for sports practice _so_ much easier!”

“Hehe! Sorry, family secret. But I may be able to ask my dad if he knows someone who can teach you.”

“Alright, enough girl talk!” shouted the 2056 boy. “Bart Allen and…” He dashed over to Wally gave him a hug. “And I’m so excited to finally meet Wally West, my first cousin once removed!”

“ _Removed?”_ thought Wally. “ _That would make him Barry’s…grandson?”_ He awkwardly pushed the boy to arms’ length. “Okay. If you are who you say you are, prove it.”

Bart grinned. “How about I show you instead?” In an instant, he disappeared in a gust of wind and reappeared on the far side of the room. While everyone stood bewildered, Bart ran back to his original position at a slower but still astonishing speed. “Haha! Pretty crash, huh?”

He had superspeed but more importantly for Wally, _Barry’s_ _superspeed_. And not only that…

“Dude!” Wally said grabbing him. “You can’t just use your powers like that! You’ll give yourself away! Including me!”

“What’s wrong? I thought we all knew each of us had superpowers?”

“Huh?”

“Y’know: Your superspeed, Cassie’s Wonder Girl powers, Jaime’s Blue Beetle power armor, et cetera.”

“Wait,” said Jaime, “how did you-?”

“Oops! Spoilers…”

“No. Go on,” said Jason. “What else do you know?”

“I can’t!” he said shaking his head. “I can’t risk it!”

“You probably already broke the first rule of time travel,” said Roy, “and probably a bunch of other ones too. So why not?”

“I just can’t, okay?”

“Fine then,” said Jason. “Here’s something different. Do you know how we all ended up here? If you _are_ from the future, it’s probably in your history books or something, right?”

“I already told you. I have no idea! I’m just a tourist! I just came back to meet my idols…while they were in their primes, of course.”

“So…we all really did time travel?” asked Virgil.

“You doubted it?” asked Jason.

“I mean…duh! This is just crazy! And I have no idea what Bart’s saying either. I have no powers whatsoever!”

“Anyone want to back up Bart’s or Virgil’s claims?”

“I believe Bart,” said Kaldur. “La’gann and I were classmates at the Conservatory of Sorcery in Poseidonis and I distinctly remember speaking with him recently.” He turned his head towards La’gann. “And he was much younger than he is now.”

"That would explain things,” said La’gann. "I thought it was weird that you looked younger than I remember you. The last time I saw you like this was when you introduced your friends from your new team in the surface world. Those next few days were pretty eventful.”

“New team?” asked Roy as he approached him. “Which friends?”

“M’gann and…hm, I don’t think he’s here.”

“Me?” asked Megan. “I’m already part of a team?”

“You have to be more specific,” said Roy. “You’re telling me Megan’s already a member of the Justice League?” 

“Justice League? No, you’re a member of the team that works _for_ the League.”

“Still not following.”

“Um, what’s the best word for it? I think it was used in a surface world movie I watched.” He paused for a few seconds. “Black-ops? Is that the right word?”

“So Kaldur…and Megan are going on top secret missions for the League?”

“Yeah, something like that.” 

“Isn't that…illegal?” asked Jaime.

“Well technically some of Earth’s heroes are vigilantes,” said Wally. He was quickly elbowed by Dick. “Oof! But, uh…the Justice League itself is recognized by the U.N. so it’s totally legit.”

“Not the best save,” Dick whispered, “but it’ll have to do.”

“And who else is part of this team?” asked Roy.

“Kaldur only told me their hero names,” said La’gann. “Robin, Kid Flash, and Artemis.”

“ _Me and Dick? Artemis too? Wait…If all of this was true, what was the League really doing back at the Hall?”_

“What? Now I’m part of this?” asked Artemis. “I mean, sure, I know a few gymnastics tricks, but _me_ on a black-ops team?”

“What about Speedy?” Roy said ignoring her.

“He mentioned him quitting and becoming his own hero because of ‘personal differences’. I don’t think he liked talking about it.”

“I knew it!” Roy angrily reached for a non-existent cap and paused when he realized it. He soon settled for tightly clenching his fists and stomped on the floor. Soon he turned to his friends. “I had my doubts, but I didn't want to believe so I just chose to ignore them! Tch! What a big mistake that was!”

“ _Roy…”_

“They weren't really going to induct us into the League! Just give us some glorified backstage pass!”

“But hey,” said Wally, “at least we’re working _for_ the League instead of our solo gigs with our mentors.”

“You don’t get it! The point is that we’re nothing but sidekicks to them! They probably just formed this ‘team’ to keep a tighter leash on you guys while still being able to consider you League members on paper! And judging by what La’gann said, at least _I_ had the sense to quit while I was ahead!”

“When you put it like that,” said La’gann nervously, “it sounds less exciting. I was actually going to join soon myself…”

“For you, it’s probably different! But I've been in the hero business for years and _this_ is the respect I get?!”

“Look,” said Tim, “it’s nothing like that.”

“And how would you know?!”

Tim stopped himself before he could reply and just sighed. “Never mind. Forget I said anything...”

**“Hahaha! Such tension! I wonder what it will lead too!”**

The voice from earlier had returned, prompting everyone to scan the room. They noticed the metal platform in the center of the room lighting up. Soon a hologram of what looked like a monitor appeared, displaying a silhouette obscured by bright white light.

**“Welcome, children. I will be your Overseer, your Den Mother of sorts.”**

“Cut the anonymous crap!” said Jason. “Who are you and why are we here?!”

**“All in due time. As I said to each of you earlier, we will begin once everyone has gathered.”**

“There’re still more?” asked Roy.

**“Just one. He was particularly…uncooperative. However, he should be arriving any moment now.”**

Right on cue, one of the doors opened to reveal another person.

“Wait a minute,” said Cassie, “isn't he…?”

The boy bore a striking resemblance to Superman himself, right down to the titular logo on his black t-shirt. He ignored the others’ stares and walked directly towards the Overseer’s screen until he was a few steps away.

“I’m here. Now will you tell me how to get back home?”

**“After you introduce yourself to your fellows.”**

He stood motionless for a few seconds, but he soon turned towards the others almost robotically.

“I am the Superboy. A genomorph. A clone made from the DNA of the Superman. Created to replace him should he perish. To destroy him should he turn from the Light.”

“A _clone_ of Superman?” asked Dick. “Who? How?”

**“Codenamed ‘Project Kr’ by Cadmus. It bears a strong, if not perfect, resemblance to Superman, does it not?”**

“Don’t call him an ‘it’!” shouted Tim. The others stared at his sudden outburst, but he quickly regained his composure. “I mean…he’s just as much a person as the rest of us, right?”

“Agreed,” said Kaldur. “Do you have another name?”

The clone remained stoic when he responded, “I do not. I am simply the Superboy.”

“Well, Bart?” said Tim. “Any ideas?”

“Huh?”

“You apparently know Cassie and Jaime despite being from a different time period. Do you know Superboy too?”

“Well, sure I do. But what about-?”

“I have a feeling ‘spoilers’ will hardly matter at this point. Does he have another name or not?”

“…Yeah, sure. Conner Kent.”

Megan giggled as she approached him. “Conner, huh? I like it. Are you a fan of Earth television?”

“The G-Gnomes deemed entertainment irrelevant to my education.”

“Oh…well, I can still show you! I’m sure you’ll love it!”

“Can we just go on already?” asked Jason. “We’re all here. Now what?”

**“I presumed you are all wondering why you have gathered here?”**

“No shit!”

**“Consider this an experiment that all of you have graciously volunteered for.”**

“Volunteer? I sure as hell didn't sign up for this! Cut the crap and tell us the truth already!”

**“As Overseer, I am incapable of lying. Whether or not you believe me is your decision.”**

“Jason,” said Kaldur. “I kindly ask that you stop antagonizing him until he explains our situation.”

“…Tch! Fine, whatever.”

“Please continue, Overseer.”

**“Thank you, Kaldur’ahm. As I mentioned earlier, this experiment is simply communal living.”**

“So just…live here?” asked Cassie. “For how long? I mean, a few days should be fine, but…”

**“Until the day you die.”**

Until we die? What kind of joke was this?

“You’re kidding, right?" said Wally. "You can’t honestly think we can live here forever.”

**“There are more than enough provisions and this facility has been equipped with basic luxuries and then some. I do not believe any of you will be in danger of malnutrition, disease, or improper hygiene unless you choose so.”**

“You’re missing the point! We all have families and _lives_ to go back to!”

**“That is none of my concern. From the moment you arrived here, there was no escape. This is your new home now.”**

“This is crazy!” shouted Cassie. “In case you didn't know, I can just force my way out of here!”

“We have a magician, two speedsters, a Martian, apparently a junior Wonder Woman plus a Superman clone, and maybe more,” said Roy. “Do you honestly think you can contain all of us?”

**“You are more than welcome to try, but I believe it will be a futile effort. All possible exits have been sealed and are impenetrable. Magic. Science. Telekinesis. Brute force. None of them will allow you to escape. I can guarantee that.”**

“What about the police?” asked Jaime. “What about the Justice League? _Someone_ ’s bound to be looking for us sooner or later!”

“Yeah,” said Virgil. “My sister’s probably worried sick about me! And judging by how overprotective she can get, she’s probably called the cops already!”

“You have freaking _Dick Grayson_ trapped here,” said Wally. “Gotham’s elite are going to go nuts over this! _And Batman too…_ ”

**“You are all completely cut off from the outside world. No matter what you do, help will not come.”**

“And you honestly expect us to believe _that_?” asked Roy. “Who in the world has enough power to pull that off?”

**“We have the support of multiple benefactors. It is amazing what the mere act of cooperation can accomplish…a little too amazing.”**

“So there’s really no way out?” asked Logan as he warily moved towards Zatanna. “Are we really trapped here?”

Poor kid… Damn this guy!

**“No. However…”**

That last word caught everyone’s immediate attention. And he was stalling by remaining silent for a few seconds, possibly relishing all the anxiety.

**“If you were to fulfill a certain condition, I will permit you to leave.”**

“I don’t like the sound of this,” said La’gann. “This is always the part in the movie where the bad guy gets our hopes up and then says something horrible.”

“What is this condition?” asked Kaldur.

**“Allow me ask a question first. The ‘ideal’ life you all desperately strive for is one of peace and harmony, is it not? Someone who willingly disrupts that lifestyle obviously has no place in this society. If not, there would be no such thing as crime, no need for prisons or asylums to lock those criminals away.”**

“So what?” said Roy. “You want us to go rob a bank or something?”

**He sighed. “And here I thought the youth of this generation was more creative. Also to answer your question, no. Theft is a forgivable offense given time. I am speaking of an unforgivable act… Murder.”**

“Say what?” said Virgil.

**“Someone who willingly takes another’s life also takes away his hopes, his dreams. A murderer cannot possibly be forgiven for such an act. Therefore, whoever murders another one of group will be forced to leave. No exceptions.”**

“But this is _murder_ we’re talking about,” said Zatanna. “None of us could possibly do that!”

**“History can prove otherwise with more examples than I can count. But if what you say is true, then you should be able to live here without any problems. If you want to leave, then murder someone. It’s as simple as that.”**

“That is _not_ how we roll,” said Dick. “You must have Arkham-level logic to have come up something as sadistic as this!”

“This is a joke, right?” said Jaime. “We just being punked, right?! That’s probably what all those cameras that I found earlier are for! To capture all of our reactions!”

Megan briefly touched her head in realization. “Hello, Megan! Of course! That makes perfect sense! I have to say that humans sure do have a strange sense of humor! Hahaha!”

“Then why the kidnapping?” asked Tim. “Even if this _was_ a reality show, they couldn't possibly be allowed to drag us here even with proper consent. Also, why the blackouts? That could imply they drugged us which goes way beyond legal limits. And why the time discrepancies? Like Wally said before, time travel is impossible at the moment. How could a _TV studio_ pull that off? What’s _really_ going on here?”

**“I assure you that all of this is real. You must kill someone if you want to leave.”**

At that moment, Wally quietly looked around at the others. They were all spread out now except Gar and Zatanna, all just staring at each other. No words were exchanged, but they all understood what the rest were saying. Are you going to do it? Who actually believes this? Is someone going to betray us? Even his friends bore the same expressions but at least they weren’t directed at each other. Any hope of complete trust was shattered with thoughts of escape ingrained in their minds.

Was this the Overseer’s plan? To make them fear the only people they could rely on? Either way, Wally knew it was true. He still had his friends, but the same didn’t apply for the others. Complete strangers desperate to escape and one already proved he was aggressive.

This was not the day he had in mind.

* * *

**16 HEROES REMAIN**


	2. Chapter 1: Crossing Paths - Daily Life I

**DAY 1**

* * *

_Evening_

* * *

"So it's true? There really is no way out?"

Wally and his friends were gathered in his room. He and Dick occupied the bed, Kaldur sat at the desk, and Roy opted to remain standing, leaning back against the wall. They had all returned from exploring the facility, or their 'prison' as Roy preferred to call it.

After the Overseer's announcements and the group's tense stand-off, Jason was the one to finally break the silence by announcing he'd be taking a nap in his room. It didn't take long for others to follow him back to the living quarters. The only ones left had been Wally, his friends, and Tim. The latter was actually the one who suggested exploring, but he said he would prefer being alone while doing so. Dick was the first to support his idea so the others just followed suit and the group split up from there.

Apparently while they had been gone, someone had decided to decorate or entirely remodel everyone's rooms. Wally's was now filled with Flash memorabilia to the point it was like a miniature Flash Museum and, embarrassingly enough, just how his real room looked like when he was a child. His friends reported similar changes.

Dick's room was more like an office now. He had an extra desk, writing supplies, and more shelves to store any files he made. However, there was strangely an overabundance of Batman plushies with cutesy faces everywhere. Wally smirked when he saw a plush more than twice the size of Dick sitting in the corner. The Boy Wonder himself actually ended up going to door-to-door asking if anyone wanted one. Fortunately for him, everyone accepted, all except Tim who was not in his room and apparently still exploring.

Kaldur's room was ridiculously humid. Wally could already wipe trace amounts of water from his face as soon as he entered. The walls had been replaced with glass panes with continuously rising water flowing behind them. The lights also had an ocean blue tint to them. And instead of a bathroom, the walls had been torn down and the room itself had been replaced with a small pool.

Roy closed his door mere seconds after opening it. "I'm rooming with one of you guys tonight," was his only comment.

And on each door was a square nameplate with an 8-bit sprite modeled in the occupant's likeness.

Despite their situation, the Overseer really was making an extra effort to making everyone's living conditions comfortable. But for Wally, that just raised the creepiness factor.

The group had just chosen Wally's room as their meeting spot since it was most 'normal' out of all of them.

"Anything that seemed like an exit was locked or sealed up tight," Wally said tossing his new Batman plush into the air. "And I made sure to triple-check every room I found." He turned towards Dick. "And sorry, bro. I couldn't find any sunglasses lying around."

"Don't apologize. I suspected it was a lost cause anyway, but I just feel so…naked without them."

"Aw, c'mon. Besides school, you're always wearing a mask. It's a nice change!"

"I found La'gann in the hanger," Kaldur said continuing the previous conversation. "We decided to search the pool of water there and found an entrance to some underwater caverns but found nothing as well. However, it appears there is a hidden passage between the hanger and the grotto at the opposite end of this facility."

"Perfect place to hide a body," said Roy. "Or drown someone."

Dick quickly snatched Wally's plush and tossed it at the archer. "Dude!"

"I'm just stating the facts!"

" _Nobody_ is going to kill anybody!"

"I know we aren't, but what about _them_? Do you really know what they're thinking? Aside from that Jason kid, apparently, we don't know anything about these people! Face it, Dick! The longer this goes one, the more likely someone's going to snap if we don't do something!"

"Enough!" said Kaldur. "We are here to discuss our findings. Now tell us what you found, Dick."

The Boy Wonder laid back down onto the bed. "I was checking out the facilities. I found a science lab so Wally can go nuts in there. I was going to try messing with the computers there, but it would've been tougher and taken much longer without my tech. I also found a gym so at least I won't go insane from not being able to practice my act. But I mostly spent my time in the library. There are a lot of books in there. I ran into Tim too, but he left with a small stack of 'em a few minutes after I got there."

"I think he knows something," said Roy. "Not why we're here exactly, but he knows a lot more than he's letting on. That or he's just very smart."

"Can't deny you there. He kinda got awkward when I started talking to him. Tried to avoid looking me in the eyes."

"We can discuss our suspicions later," said Kaldur. "Roy, your report?"

The archer sighed. "I…actually didn't do much exploring. I hung around the living quarters, making sure nobody did anything."

"That's all?"

"I also stopped by the kitchen for a snack. The Overseer guy was right about provisions. The fridge, pantries, and cupboards are absolutely stacked. Though I have no idea long it'll last with sixteen of us." He pointed at Wally. "Especially knowing that we have two speedsters who burn through calories like monster trucks."

Wally was about counter but stopped himself. "Actually…you make a good point. I should probably should go tell Bart to lighten up on the speed."

"Where is Bart, anyway?" asked Dick.

"I saw him hanging out with Jaime," said Roy. "I think they're in one of their rooms."

"So what do you guys think about him? If he's from the future, why do you think he's here?"

"He was definitely hiding something," said Wally. "But was he just trying to prevent changing the future or something else?"

"Perhaps he will tell you," said Kaldur. "After all, you are his second uncle."

"Dude, I'm _fifteen_!" He groaned as Dick sat up and patted him on the shoulder. "Honestly, I thought I would've had my first girlfriend before Barry had grandkids..."

"Technically, it's not too late for that," said Dick.

"I know… I'll go talk to him tomorrow. I don't know why, but I am _so beat_! I think Cold may have sneaked something extra into his gun when I fought him."

"It's been…a very stressful day," said Kaldur. "I'm sure we all need some rest."

"I'm fine with that," said Roy. "Want to meet up again tomorrow morning?"

"I vote we move to the kitchen," said Wally. "Everyone's probably going to be there for breakfast anyway."

"Very well," said Kaldur. "Tomorrow morning in the kitchen then."

Wally escorted his friends to the door as they said their goodbyes. Once he was alone, Wally tossed himself onto his bed and quickly drifted to sleep.

Part of him wished this was all dream. In actuality, he had hoped by the time he opened his eyes again everything would be back to normal. Dick, Kaldur, Roy, Barry, everyone would be able to enjoy that long-awaited Independence Day. Unfortunately, that would not be the case. Just like what Roy said, whether he wanted to acknowledge it or not, Wally knew he was a prisoner.

* * *

_Nighttime_

* * *

Wally almost thought his stomach was magic when it began grumbling just before midnight. He quietly laughed to himself at the notation as he lazily lurched towards the door. The hallway was dark but the lights were still bright enough to see ahead. As he turned the corner, Wally noticed that the kitchen light was on. He quickened his pace to find Artemis sitting at the counter, eating from a large box of cookies while reading a magazine. She noticed Wally once he passed under the doorway.

"Hey there," Wally said with a flirtatious smile.

Artemis grinned back. "Hey yourself."

He sat down across the counter. "Can I have some?"

"All yours," she said shoving the entire box towards him.

Wally peered inside to find it already half-empty. He didn't comment on it and just began eating the remaining chocolate chip cookies. "So…how you holding up?"

"Couldn't be better," she said flipping a page. "Everyone seems nice enough except that Jason kid." She then let out a small laugh and looked up at Wally. "To be honest, this isn't even the worst thing I've been forced into."

"Locked in a building," he said still chewing, "to kill someone?"

"It's way better than having to live with my so-called dad."

"Oh…" Well, this was awkward. "Is…that why you're living with your mom now?"

She sighed. "Pretty much. I was just as surprised as my dad was when I heard she was coming back."

"I can imagine."

Artemis grinned and leaned forward, fingering to come closer. "Do you want to know what the best part was? She's handicapped! My big 'macho' dad couldn't even stand up to a woman in a wheelchair! Hahaha!"

Wally couldn't help but laugh as well, the initial image he had of Artemis' father being completely destroyed. So destroyed, in fact, he began coughing and staggering towards the sink. Artemis almost immediately got out of her seat and retrieved a glass from the cupboard, filling it for Wally. When the redhead could finally breathe normally, he still let out a few laughs.

"Geez," said Artemis, "I didn't think it was _that_ funny. And I may have made up parts of that up too."

"Hey, what matters is that you _got_ me! Hahaha!"

"Just don't chew while you're talking. You were practically asking for that one."

"Heh! If I didn't know any better, you were trying to get me to choke to death with no other witnesses."

She sneered. "Maaaybe~"

"Oho! So you are more devilish than you look!"

"Looks can be deceiving. You should meet my sister. _Way_ more sinister if you can get past that sweet face of hers."

After a short stare-off, they broke into laughter again and returned to their original seats.

"Thanks for this," said Artemis. "I almost forgot what it's like to just have a good time. Y'know, ignoring the person keeping us trapped here."

"Well…if you're ever in the mood to talk, I'm all ears."

"I'll remember that. By the way, I didn't catch your name earlier. Something West, right?"

"It's Wally." He nervously rubbed his head. "And you're…?"

"Artemis. Artemis Crock."

"Well, Artemis," he said standing. "I guess I'll see you tomorrow morning at breakfast." He paused to look at the wall clock reading 12:08 AM. "Uh…technically tomorrow is now today but…you know what I mean."

"Hehe! Good night, Wally."

He pointed behind himself towards the doorway. "You not going to bed?"

"I gotta go put this back first," she said holding up her magazine. "Not to mention clean up the mess you made..."

Wally glanced behind her at the partially filled glass and open box of cookies still lying on the counter. "Oh, um, I can still help out if you want."

"No, it's fine. I'm used to going to bed way later anyway. One of the perks of being a Gothamite, I guess. We can never really tell when it's time to go to bed."

"Sounds like someone I know, hehe! Alright then. Good night, Artemis."

Wally turned and headed back to his room. As he laid in bed, he started questioning himself. What was he doing? He was supposed to be trying to escape, but there he was making small talk with someone he was trying to rescue! Then again…it was sort of nice to take things slowly. At least this time there was no distressed citizen with the added stress of not letting that fatal timer reach zero.

Now this was just an if-situation, but…maybe this communal life wouldn't be so bad after all...


	3. Chapter 1: Crossing Paths - Daily Life II

**DAY 2**

* * *

_Morning_

* * *

(Kitchen)

By the time Wally arrived, almost everyone else had already gathered either in the kitchen or in the living room directly next to it.

Tim and Zatanna were in the middle of making breakfast, the former cooking the old fashioned way while the latter was taking a few shortcuts levitating dishes, pans, and other utensils. Nevertheless, the smell was making Wally even hungrier.

Dick, Roy, Artemis, Cassie, and Virgil were seated around the counter. While the girls and Virgil were chatting, Roy was already eating a bowl of cereal with the Boy Wonder pouring himself one.

With the exception of the absent Kaldur and La'gann, everyone else was sitting in the living room. It was a slightly larger space with a few couches and a coffee table. Built into the wall was a large flat screen television which apparently had everything  _but_  a news channel.

Jason was lounging on a couch, mindlessly flipping through channels with a slice of bread in his mouth. He soon stopped on one featuring an in-progress auto race.

"You like racecars, kid?" he asked Gar sitting next to him.

"Um, sure. They're cool, I guess."

"Oh, wait. You said you were from Qurac, right? Figures that wouldn't be your thing… So what do you like? Cartoons? Nature shows? Pretty sure I passed some of them."

"Could you go back to the show with the blue cat? I really like that one."

"Sure thing."

He went back a few channels and stopped at what he assumed was Gar's show. It wasn't the same character he caught a glimpse of, but rather what looked like his mother. She was standing in front of cave telling its occupant that his mother was "so short she needs shoes for her chin", "so fat that her high school photo was a double page spread", and had "so many warts that her face spells 'ugly' in Braille". Jason immediately broke into hearty laughter.

"Ahahaha! I like your sense of humor, kid!"

"Human comedy is a lot more…insulting than I expected," said Megan. She was sitting with Conner who simply stared at the screen without blinking.

"It actually gets worse," said Bart. He had been chatting with Jaime sitting next to him. "You can get away with  _really_  nasty things as comedy where I'm from. Really mode-ed."

"What?" said Jaime. "Does the FCC just not care anymore?"

"You could say that. It would be pretty crash if they actually did something though…"

Wally was about to approach his second-nephew until he heard someone calling him.

"Hey!" Artemis said waving. "Saved you a seat."

The speedster glanced at Bart before shrugging and taking the spot between her and Cassie. "Thanks, babe."

"Gee, Wally," said Dick across from him with a devious smile. "Barely a day and you're already making the moves on someone?"

"Oh shut up! Eat your corn flakes, Grayson."

Dick just chuckled as he asked Roy for the milk carton.

"So where are Kaldur and La'gann?"

"They went for a morning swim in the hanger," said Roy. "I guess they wanted to catch up on old times or something."

"Are they going to be alright here?" asked Cassie. "I mean, am I like…allowed to eat fish around them?"

Dick laughed again. "Of course. Like La'gann said yesterday, he's human. Atlanteans just have this genetic mutation that lets them live underwater."

"I'm not a science buff," said Virgil, "that would be my friend, Richie–but I'm having a hard time believing that. You're telling me genetics caused humans to look like  _that_?"

"Evolution, man. Plus they're top-notch when it comes to science and I think they had a little help with magic from their king's trident too. I think you'd be more skeptic if you actually went there. Trust me, La'gann isn't even the weirdest looking Atlantean I've met."

"Think 'mermaid' but the exact opposite of what you'd expect," said Wally.

"Ew, gross!" said Artemis. "Does that include the-?"

"He's kidding," said Roy. "Or at least no Atlantean has  _that_  kind of appearance. And try not to laugh at them too. Atlantis has bit of a racism problem between those who look like us and those who look like La'gann. Even Kaldur gets some looks just because he has webbed hands and feet."

She was rubbing her head. "Oh… I sort of understand that. It might not be obvious, but I'm half-Vietnamese. Kids were always asking me why my skin was 'darker' than my dad's. But it stopped being a problem once I moved to a new high school. At that point, 'freak' takes on a completely different meaning in Gotham."

"I'm sorry," said Dick. "I shouldn't have brought it up."

"Me too," said Cassie. "I wouldn't even know  _how_  explain the other half of my family to my friends. Seriously, I'd actually need to take classes to understand it, maybe even enough for a college major."

"Bart mentioned you had powers similar to Wonder Woman, didn't he?"

She groaned. "Ugh! How could he just blow my secret like that? Anyway, yeah. I usually tell people that my dad left my mom after she got pregnant. But that's only the half-truth. What I don't tell people is that my dad's actually Zeus, king of the gods."

"So you're a demi-god, huh?"

"Pretty much. But I'm not really in control of  _when_ I have powers. Zeus gave my mom the ability to turn off my powers whenever she wanted."

"Haha! So like an Ancient Greek remote control? Classic!"

She pouted and crossed her arms. "Which stinks if I want to sneak out of the house. But at least they're working right now."

"You sure your dad didn't leave you because of other reasons?" asked Wally. He turned towards Dick. "Hey, didn't you help arrest some guy claiming to be 'Zeus' a few weeks ago?"

Dick took a moment to recall that memory. "Maxie? He's just a delusional crime lord with a god complex. And we ran a full background check on him. Nothing about a daughter."

"Don't mind Wally," said Roy. "He's a firm skeptic towards magic."

"Everything can be explained with science," said the speedster. "Just maybe not with modern science or our current understanding of science."

"Really?" said Artemis. "Then what would be your explanation for Cassie's dad if he really is the Zeus you read about in books?"

"Probably some guy who found unstable chemicals or got exposed to some weird radiation that stopped him from physically aging and made him live longer. I mean, it would be pretty awkward having to explain to your grandkids why their great-great grandpa looks way younger than their grandma."

"I'd actually buy that," said Virgil. "But I still prefer the 'son of a god' explanation."

Cassie shrugged. "I've never even met him so all I have to go on is what my mom says, but whatever floats your boat."

Wally was about to present his other explanations for "magical" phenomenon but was stopped when a steaming plate landed in front of him.

"Food's ready!" announced Zatanna.

Dick and Rick moved to make room for the others heading towards the counter. Meanwhile, Wally, Artemis, Cassie, and Virgil were already taking advantage of the first round of dishes.

There was not much variety to the selection, but there was plenty to go around: pancakes, waffles, hash browns, French toast. Eggs came either scrambled, fried, or as omelets. Wally thought he was getting a bit greedy with the bacon strips, but no one ever stopped him.

"Thank you so much!" said Megan. "I would've loved to help, but I'm still new to making Earth dishes."

"Your welcome," said Zatanna. "And it's no problem." She then pointed to Tim. "I'm just glad to finally meet a man who can actually help out in the kitchen."

Tim's face went red. "It's not that hard if you read the instructions… Plus I've had to make my own meals a lot since my parents are always busy."

"Not bad," Jason said in a bored tone while taking a bite of French toast. "Little burnt though."

Connor swallowed a slice of his pancakes. "It's…more appetizing than I expected."

"Are you sure you're self-taught?" asked Jaime. "I think this is the first time I've ever seen someone get the egg whites into a perfect circle."

"Who cares?" said Bart as he filled his plate with everything available. "As long as it's edible, I love it!"

"Hey, don't pig out too much," said Zatanna. "Kaldur and La'gann still haven't gotten here."

"I'll get them," Roy said as he walked away. "I'm already full anyway."

As the conversations continued, many more laughs were shared. However, Wally still had to wonder if any of these smiles were forced. What if this was all an act? If being a hero taught him anything, it was that you could never truly know someone. Everyone had secrets they didn't want to share, even between him and Barry. Kaldur and Roy knew Dick's identity, but he was one of the very few people who knew Dick's past, but he knew there was still other information the acrobat kept to himself. The same idea applied to supervillains. Just when you think you've gotten through to them and they're going to turn their lives around, they snap right back into a villainy.

Or maybe they were just trying to hide their fears? It felt  _good_  to laugh, to smile, to let people know you were happy. It was easier to pretend nothing was wrong. But nothing lasted forever. Wally just wondered when those masks would finally crack, including his own.

* * *

_Afternoon_

* * *

(Kitchen)

After breakfast and cleaning up, everyone had left to do as they pleased with their leisure time. Besides Wally and his friends, Jason and Gar were the only ones and they stayed in the living room. This time the former was napping while the latter was channel surfing.

"Does anyone want to announce any discoveries?" asked Kaldur. "As for myself, I have nothing."

Roy stood up and walked towards the fridge. "Yeah, Wally. You can forget about telling Bart to cut down on the snacks because I highly doubt we're going starve any time soon." He opened the door to reveal everything had been completely restocked, including some new produce mostly likely for lunch. "I checked the pantries too. Same deal. Even that plate Connor broke, there was a new one to replace it. What's more is that I'd been keeping an eye on them the entire time. Nobody's even touched it since Tim and Zatanna were done with them."

"Well at least we know he wasn't kidding about having enough provisions," said Dick.

"I'm kind of worried," said Wally. "I was pretty hungry so I didn't even think about it but is this food really safe to eat?"

Dick handed him a manila folder. "Already beat you to it, KF."

Wally opened it to find multiple printed papers with detailed analyses of some of the products that had been in the fridge. They reported everything right down to their molecular structures.

"I decided to check out the science lab again last night. And I wanted to test out the equipment so what better way to check if the food's been altered or not? I wasn't a hundred percent sure so I thought you could look at it. I still have others back in my room. Might as well make use of what they gave me."

"Everything looks normal," Wally said flipping through pages. "I'm actually learning more than verifying…"

"What else is in that lab?" asked Roy.

"The basic stuff," said the Boy Wonder. "Computers, microscopes, test tubes, beakers, burners, et cetera. All kinds of analysis machines like what you'd find in a forensics lab. There's also a large cabinet filled with chemicals."

"Any dangerous ones?"

"A few, but all of them shouldn't be too much of a problem if you clean yourself off ASAP and maybe some minor treatments. Plus the cabinet's locked and built with reinforced glass. I doubt any of us could break it and I couldn't find any traces of a key either."

"Alright, I'll keep an eye out for one. Who knows if someone decided to snatch it..."

"Will you relax? It'll be fine."

"Aren't you the son of Batman? I would think  _you'd_  be the most paranoid and pragmatic out of all of us."

"Just because I'm Robin doesn't mean I have to be like Batman. Besides, I'll  _know_  when things are going wrong."

He sighed. "…Fine, I'll trust your instinct, but it better not come back to bite us."

"Wally," said Kaldur. "I would assume you were just sleeping last night?"

The speedster nodded. "I got up around midnight for a snack and ran into Artemis in the kitchen. We talked for a bit, but that's pretty much it before I went back to sleep."

"I see… If that is all, I believe our business is done here."

"Are we just going to keep on meeting up every day like this?"

"Well… It does seem like we have no further leads to go on…and no signs of significant progress."

"I vote we just meet if one of us finds something important or interesting," said Roy.

"Seconded," said Dick.

"Third," said Wally.

The vote was unanimous. Kaldur was the first to excuse himself followed by Roy and Dick. Now alone, Wally gazed into the living room. Jason was still asleep, but Gar was now kneeling in front of the cabinet beneath the television. Inside, he had found an already connected video game system and was browsing through its library.

"Hey, Gar! You find anything multi-player?"

* * *

_Evening_

* * *

(Science Lab)

Wally needed to stretch his legs after spending the last few hours playing video games and eating snacks with Gar. Jason had also joined them partway through when he woke up. However, he mostly remained silent aside from frustrated grunts and the occasional comment telling the others watch out for incoming obstacles during team matches. When people started coming back for lunch, he took it as his cue to finally leave, taking a microwaved TV dinner with him. Having grabbed a bag of chips, Wally then left Gar to be entertained by the others. He was still curious about the science lab, having never actually went back after his initial sweep of the facility.

It was dark we he entered, but Wally could see that someone was already here. Switching on the lights, Wally found Dick sitting at one of the computers on the far side of the room.

"Hey, man. This where you've been the whole time?"

Dick just waved back without diverting his attention from the screen.

Wally leaned over his friend's shoulder to see another analysis report. It was different from ones Dick had given him, but the layout was still the same.

"Match found: B13 - Error," Wally read aloud. "What is that? Some kind of ID code?"

"It's a report on a blood sample analysis. Apparently, some guy wearing a red helmet attacked this place or wherever this report came from and got away, but he managed to leave some of his blood behind during a fight."

"Really? You think this guy was trying to save us?"

"Maybe? The file's dated 2018."

" _That's further than Virgil,"_ thought Wally. "Any names?"

He shook his head. "It's missing. I checked the code and the assignment statement that's supposed to display it leads to an empty string in the system. That's why the error shows up. I think it must've gotten deleted somehow."

"What about the other files that came after it? There could be some clues."

"That's going to take a while. Most of these files are corrupted beyond heck. This was actually the file that was  _most_  salvageable and it took me since our meeting to get it working. Fixing the rest will probably just give me random words without any context."

"Bummer… Hey, do you need a break?" He began shaking his bag of chips. "I got nacho cheeeese~!"

Dick shut down the computer before reaching inside. "You know I prefer ranch."

"Blame the Overseer. He had almost every flavor but that one. Y'know, even with all the stuff he's giving us, I think he's also trying to subtly spite us with them too."

"…Wally, what do you think?"

"I just did, didn't I?"

"No, not that. Do you think…we'll ever get out of here? All of us, I mean…"

Wally noticed Dick was slouching in his chair. Now that he didn't have his sunglasses, it was much easier to realize the boy was genuinely worried, something Wally rarely witnessed.

"Dick… You said it yourself, nobody's killing anybody."

"That's what I was  _trained_  to tell people. That's not what I really think…"

"But what you said to Roy-"

"I lied! Or at least…I had my doubts. You heard him: I'm the son of Batman. And I said just because I'm Robin doesn't mean I have to be like Batman. But I still  _know_  what he would be thinking… It'll happen  _eventually_  if we don't do something, and that scares me…"

Wally sighed. He hated whenever Dick went into brooding mode. "Okay, fine. Then let's do something!"

"Like what? We already searched the place."

"We'll search again! Every last inch this time!"

"Some of us already tried forcing our way out while you were asleep."

"We'll try again! All of us this time! Together!"

"And in case you haven't noticed, I don't have my gear anymore. I'm not Robin right now."

"Then be Dick Grayson! Be the thing that everyone loves him for!" Wally grinned. "Being my best friend."

Dick looked up surprised.

"And before you say that's a stupid idea, give me the name of someone who actually hates you."

"Probably every inmate at Arkham and Blackgate."

"Keyword: probably. And they don't count anyway." He waited to see if Dick would respond but eventually continued. "Do you remember that mathletes championship match against Metro Prep that you couldn't attend because the Penguin was organizing the climax of a gang war between the Falcones and Maronis? The  _opposing_ team refused to play and accept Gotham's automatic forfeit until  _you_  were there! The committee ended up having to reschedule the match and refund everyone's tickets! Even people back at Keystone know about your school's intense rivalry with Metro Prep. To pull off something like that  _without even being there_  is kind of…epic to say the least."

Dick still didn't respond.

"And let me make an exception to that 'villains don't count' thing. Have you actually counted the amount of times criminals asked for  _you_  to interrogate them instead of Batman, Gordon, or some random GCPD officer? By the way, I timed some of them and compared notes. You actually get more out of them in a shorter amount of time. Seriously, if something happened to you, I swear the entire world would go into a frenzy over it!"

No response.

"Or what about that time you-?"

"Okay, okay," Dick said laughing. "You've made your point. Sometimes you're as stubborn as Bruce, you know that? But in a more motivational way, hehe."

"You think so?" he said smugly. "Got plenty more ammunition where that came from."

"I'm sure. Plus if I didn't stop you, you'd probably end up confessing your love or something."

"C'mon. You know I don't swing that way."

"I know, I know. Hehe… And thanks, man." Dick leaned back and yawned while rubbing his eyes. "I actually haven't slept since we got here. I think I'm gonna turn it in early. Might as well try setting up a proper sleep schedule while I'm here."

"Mind if I tag along for a bit? Kitchen's on the way and Megan said she wanted a turn at cooking something for dinner."

It was good to see Dick smiling again. The pep talk was just what he needed, and Wally too. Reminding Dick of his achievements also reminded the speedster of the strange friendship, if he could even call it that, he and Barry shared with the Rogues. Despite their actions, they condemned violence against innocent civilians. Wally remembered how one time Captain Cold surrendered immediately when a hostage started suffering from a heart attack. And there was a time the Rogues ended up saving the day when an out-of-town supervillain was threatening to blow up Central City. Of course, both incidents had a backup plan of Mirror Master rescuing them before the Flash duo could capture them but it was the gestures that mattered.

"We  _are_ getting out of here," Wally quietly said to himself. "All of us…"

* * *

_Nighttime_

* * *

(Living Quarters)

Wally somewhat regretted going to dinner, wishing he had taken Jason's lead. While Megan's cooking wasn't awful _—_ it was slightly above mediocre at best _—_ she ended up making a huge mess in the kitchen by forgetting that humans didn't share her telepathic abilities. Zatanna had been able to save some people from being covered in ingredients, but unfortunately that didn't include Wally.

As he turned the corner into the hallway leading to his room, he ran into Tim coming from the opposite direction.

"Hey, Tim. You missed dinner. It was great."

"I can…see that," he said examining Wally. "I presume you're heading back to your room for a shower now?"

"No duh. What about you?"

"The library. Reading's kind of a hobby of mine."

"Oh, is that where you've been hanging out? Figures. The _one_ place I'd never dare to tread, haha!"

"Actually, what I'm reading is pretty interesting. Wait here a minute."

Tim ran back down the hallway and turned the far corner out of sight. After about a minute, he came back with a blue book in his hands.

"I think you and your friends might want to take a look at this," he said handing it to Wally.

Wally opened the book to its title page. "History of Happy Harbor? Dude, I hate history. But why do you think my friends would want to see this?"

"It was the only clue I could find to about where we are." He paused to take a deep breath. "If you guys want to talk about it more, meet me in the library tomorrow morning after breakfast."

"I'll…let them know. But can I ask why you haven't told anyone about this? At least we'd know we're not trapped on some deserted island or something."

"What would be the point? I don't think anyone would greatly benefit from just knowing where we are. But if you want to tell everyone, I won't stop you. I just don't think it's a good idea to get everyone's hopes up without something better to follow it afterward."

"I see your point… Okay then, I guess I'll see you tomorrow then."

"Wait. Can I ask one more question?"

"Uh, sure. Shoot."

"Your memory. What's the last thing you remember before waking up here?"

" _Oh yeah. I didn't really get to introduce myself because of Bart…_ "

"I already figured out you were Kid Flash by the way. And the others' identities as well."

" _Thank you so much, Bart!_ " Wally paused to think about his answer. "You said you were from 2015, right? I guess you were in grade school when it happened, but we thought we were getting inducted into the Justice League. Independence Day, 2010. We all blacked out sometime after going inside the Hall of Justice."

"And absolutely nothing afterwards?"

"Nope."

"I see," he said putting a hand to his chin. "Thanks, Wally. And sorry for keeping you. I'll pay you back somehow if those stains don't come out."

"Hehe, I'll hold you to that. See you later."

Wally then entered his room, tossing the Happy Harbor book onto his bed. As he began undressing, he noticed a new object on his desk.

It was a laptop painted red with the Flash's logo on it. On top of it was an envelope addressed to him. Opening it revealed a plain note card.

" _For your personal use only. This device has already been configured to recognize your fingerprint. Unauthorized access will result in total deletion of data. I suggest you take the time to become familiar with its contents as soon as possible."_

Wally tossed aside the notecard and pressed the power button. While he waited for the computer to boot up, he quickly searched the room for anything else suspicious but found nothing. After verifying his ID, the desktop appeared.

"Seems pretty normal… Wait, what's this?"

In the middle of the screen was a shortcut to a video file simply labeled "Click me". Wally was wary but he followed its instruction and stared at the screen intently.

"What the?!"

It was a family photo of him with his parents, specifically one of the pictures his mother had in his living room. Did the Overseer actually visit his house? The video continued with a montage of Wally in both of his identities along with other members of his family.

"Wally West, beloved son of Rudolph and Mary West," said a voice. It wasn't the Overseer, way too high and playful with his speech, but Wally still didn't recognize him. "Two years ago in his eagerness to become the second Flash's sidekick, he replicated the experiment that gave the Flash his powers with a chemistry set. However, he _botched_ it miserably and winded up in the hospital. But all was not a lost cause because soon he found out that he  _had_ gotten superspeed! Not the same as the Flash's, but still pretty fast!"

This person knew his backstory, something only known _—_ or supposed to have only been known _—_ to his family and closest friends. Wally knew they loved him too much to ever betray that trust under normal circumstances. Which could only mean…

"Despite the dangers, Wally became known as Kid Flash with his parents' blessing. They loved their son and they respected his dreams. And they trusted he would be safe under the Flash's tutelage."

The video then switched to a recording of an empty room. At first, Wally didn't react tilting his head. It wasn't until the camera started moving that he realizing something and quickly paused the video to examine the picture.

It was his living room, but horribly destroyed. There were clear signs of some kind of struggle. Multiple scratch marks covered the walls, way too big to have been made by human hands. The large cabinet had been reduced to a pile of wood. Their couch was now torn to pieces and broken right down the center.

Wally then unpaused the video to let the camera zoom out. Shattered glass was scattered everywhere. And through the broken window was a glimpse of his neighborhood. Its condition wasn't any better. And just beyond the rooftops was a dark crimson skyline of Central City, desolate of any lights with dense clouds looming overhead.

"I wonder if that trust was misplaced. Because it looks like something has happened to this family's well-being! What could've happened?"

The faded to black and displayed the message,

_Leave if you want to find the answer!_

"What. The. Hell?!"

Questions were racing through his mind. What happened to his home? What happened to parents? What happened to Central City? Wally needed to get out of here. He had to make sure everyone was safe! All he had to do was…leave.

"Damn them!" he said slamming his fist on the desk. " _What did they do to deserve this?! I'm the one they should be going after!_ "

Wally closed the lid and pushed the laptop aside. He slumped forward and rested his head on his crossed arms. He then stared at a Flash figurine on the shelf across the room.

"What's going on, Uncle Barry…? Who's doing this to us...?"

He was half-expecting an answer but when it was clear that wasn't happening, Wally stood up and slowly walked towards the bathroom.

"I need a shower…"


	4. Chapter 1: Crossing Paths - Daily Life III

**DAY 3**

* * *

  _Morning_

* * *

(Central Chamber)

Wally was anxious when he arrived in the kitchen. Assuming everyone received similar video messages, he had been expecting a dreary atmosphere with everyone sitting in silence. He was surprised to only find Roy waiting for him.

"You're late. Everyone else is in the central chamber. I think you know why…"

Wally had dashed away and arrived just as the Overseer's screen appeared.

"What the fuck is this shit?!" said Jason. "You're threatening all of our families now?!"

" **I was impressed at how you were all coping, not even an instance of antagonism. And that made me realize something: you all demonstrate astounding patience and restraint, admirable qualities for a hero. However, there was no way to truly test those qualities. Therefore, the videos."**

"And you do it through kidnapping?!"

" **I have done nothing of the sort. I was merely offering glimpses of the outside world. If you wish to confirm the contents of your videos, then kill someone."**

"You're giving us all motives…" said Tim.

"They can't be real though, right?" said Cassie. "I'm sure someone's just really good at Photoshop!"

"You'd have to be a master or need a team of professionals to edit  _live_  video footage like that…" said Dick.

"What kind of person are you?!" shouted La'gann. "What did you do to Atlantis?!"

"C'mon, Bart!" Jaime said shaking the boy. "You should know if this stuff is real or not!"

The speedster frowned and looked away. "What I saw…was different from my time. Whatever he did is completely different from what I was trying to prevent…"

" **Now that you all understand, I shall be taking my leave. Show us your resolve, children!"**

"Hold on!" said Jason. "We're still not done with-"

The Overseer's monitor shut off before he could finish. Wally could feel the dread being emanated in the room.

"This is crazy," Zatanna said shaking. "Why are we being tortured like this?"

Dick moved to comfort her. "Don't listen to him. He's just trying to break us with his mind games."

"And it's working," Roy said teeth-clenched. "We can't even prove if those videos are fake."

Artemis knelt down beside a heavily crying Gar and hugged him tightly. "It's okay to cry, Gar. Don't hold it in. It'll only hurt more if you do. No one's going to hurt you…"

Megan clapped her hands with an unsettling peppiness. "C-Cheer up, everyone! I'm sure if we eat a nice healthy breakfast, we can gain our confidence back!"

"What point will eating do?!" Virgil quickly snapped. "I don't know what it's like on Mars, but our families _matter_ on Earth! My mom was killed by a stray bullet while treating victims of a turf war! My dad and sister are all I have left now! I need to know if they're okay!"

She shrunk back biting her lip. "I-I didn't… I wasn't…"

"Hey, lay off her," said Wally. "She was just trying to help."

"Don't you care about your folks, man?!" said Virgil.

"Of course I do! But just yelling at each other isn't going to help us find them!"

"Enough!" shouted Kaldur. "I understand that this information is certainly distressing. I too wish to learn what has become of my home. But we cannot allow this distress to divide us. Like Dick said, the Overseer is trying to goad us into his scheme, manipulate us and cloud our judgement." He waited until more people had calmed down. "M'gann also has the correct idea. It has been hours since we have last eaten. A meal will restore our energy and allow us to clear our heads."

"…If you don't mind," Jason said walking away, "I'm gonna eat alone. You know where to find me."

"I'll still go with you," said Artemis, "but Gar's  _really_  not in the mood to eat right now. I'll take him back to his room and meet you guys later."

Nobody spoke as Kaldur waited until the three had left. "You are not obligated to listen to me, but I still expect the rest of you to join us." He observed the others one more time before turning towards the exit himself. "I shall begin preparing breakfast then."

"I'll help out," Wally said joining him. He waited until they were in the hallway before speaking again. "Nice job, man. You've been doing a great job keeping all of us together."

"I only did what seemed logical. Aquaman often delivers similar statements in efforts to maintain peaceful relations, both diplomatic and personal."

"Well, keep it up. It looks like we're going to have our hands full when even our most cheerful guys are getting upset."

"I will," he said as they entered the kitchen. "By the way, I greatly appreciate you joining me. In the mix of all that tension, I seemed to have forgotten that I only know the recipes for Atlantean dishes."

Wally laughed and wrapped an arm around his shoulder. "Why did you think I'm here? Just listen to what I say and I'm sure we can make something edible." He stopped to open the fridge. "And if not, Dick and Roy can just bail us out like usual..."

* * *

_Afternoon_

* * *

(Library)

Breakfast was like how Wally originally expected it: dull, quiet, and just plain depressing. When Artemis came back, she only stayed for a quick bite before returning to Gar's room with some toast, milk, and Jason carrying a bowl of cereal. Many of the others also went back to their rooms after finishing their meals.

When everyone had left, Tim approached Wally saying he was still willing to discuss the Happy Harbor book but at a different time and that he would be in the library regardless of Wally's choice. Nevertheless, Wally still gathered his friends and they went together a few hours later.

Tim was seated at a wooden table reading a book, never putting it down until the others had also taken their seats.

"Sorry for putting this off. After what just happened, I just needed some extra time to rethink what I wanted to say."

"You do not need to apologize," said Kaldur. "It was obvious everyone shared similar sentiments."

"Well, we're here," said Roy. "What did you want to tell us?"

"You have the book?" he asked holding out his hand.

Tim received the desired object from Wally and opened it to a certain page towards the end. He then showed it to the others revealing a colored picture. It was an overlooking view of a seaside town, specifically the edge of town bordering a bay on two sides.

"I strongly believe that this is where we're being held," Tim said pointing to a lone large mountain right next to the bay. "It's the only place that makes sense."

"What makes you say that?" asked Kaldur.

Tim looked around as he began passing out more books from a pile next to him. "This library covers a wide range of material: mathematics, science, engineering, world history, entertainment, business, et cetera. But of all the non-fictional books here, there's a decent number written about a seemingly insignificant town in the United States. Unless you actually reside in this area or once lived here, I highly doubt you'd would have these books in a library. Plus, there's another reason…"

"This is Mount Justice!" Dick said while reading his book. "This is the Secret Sanctuary!"

He nodded. "So you did know about it."

"I had my suspicions, but I've never actually seen what it looked like or where it was. All I had to go on were occasional comments from Batman. But if we're all here, then why-?"

"Hold on," said Wally. "What are you guys talking about?"

Dick continued flipping through pages as he spoke. "Before the Justice League was a formal organization, they operated in secret from a different headquarters, Mount Justice. But the location was compromised by the Joker so they ended up going public soon afterward. After the Hall was built, this place was decommissioned and abandoned."

"Wait. So you're telling us we're on  _League property_?"

What was going on? Wally could understand being at some random unknown location. But if this was true, how has the Justice League not found them yet?

"And how exactly do you know all this?" Roy asked closing a book. "Some of these books were published way after 2010 and none of them mention the Justice League or this place."

Tim was scratching his head with his finger. "Uh, I'm smart like that?"

He crossed his arms. "That's the dumbest excuse I've ever heard. Who are you, really? Wally told us you already know our hero identities. No one could've possibly done that unless you're connected to one of us."

Wally gawked at him. "Roy, he doesn't have to tell us if he doesn't want to."

"It's fine," said Tim. "I knew this question was going to happen eventually. Might as well get it over with…" He took a deep breath and looked at Dick. "So how's Bruce doing lately? I trust he's as chalant as usual?"

Word play.  _Dick's_  word play. Wally immediately noticed the Boy Wonder's mouth drop.

"Has he made you scrub the Batmobile yet? Because he just built another backup, and I was hoping you could give me a few tips since we're practically the same age now."

"Wait a minute," said Wally. "Are you-?"

"Robin. Or at least I  _will_ be once 2015 comes around."

"Huh… So Dick's going to be passing the torch sometime in the next five years..."

"And I wasn't lying when I said I was smart. I figured out your identities out years ago…except Kaldur, of course, because he doesn't have a civilian identity."

"Again, how could a guy like you figure that out?" said Roy. "How did someone like you get to be Robin?"

"Well, it started out small. But once I started putting the pieces together, it made sense." He looked at Dick again. "I don't want to bring up bad memories but do you remember April 1, 2006?"

He was asking about the night Dick's parents died. The night a mob boss named Tony Zucco sabotaged the Flying Graysons' trapeze act which left Dick and his severely injured uncle as the only survivors. Wally knew he didn't like discussing that night and was about to stop Tim until Dick responded.

"Y-Yeah… That's not something you forget so easily."

"Remember how before the show, your troupe took a photo with a random family? You put their toddler on your lap and said that you would be dedicating your performance to him."

"That… That was you?"

Tim nodded. "Before the…incident, I saw you and your family do your signature quadruple somersault. Then years later I saw Robin do the same move on the news. I just put two and two together and figured out Batman and Robin were Bruce Wayne and Dick Grayson. Other heroes' identities I deduced from Batman and Bruce in the news. I thought it was strange when Wayne Industries suddenly entered a close partnership with Queen Industries so soon after Oliver Queen bought back the company, and even were in talks of a company merge. That eventually led me to you, Roy. As for Wally, I actually had to use some of my parents' connections, but long story short, I noticed that the Flash gave public statements to Iris West more than any other reporter in Central City which led to hospital records that were years apart yet strangely similar and around the time two specific speedsters made themselves known."

The rest were speechless. One minor detail was enough to cause a chain reaction that exposed all of them. Wally started to fear the possibly of a villain who shared Tim's skills.

"I can see why you're Robin now with those detective instincts," said Roy.

"Are you sure it's wise to tell us all of this?" asked Kaldur. "My understanding of time travel is limited, but is revealing knowledge like this dangerous?"

Tim sighed. "I having a feeling we'll be here for a while, and that things will eventually start slipping, especially with Bart here. While I would prefer to avoid potentially damaging the timeline, I believe it's more important to build relations right now despite what Batman might think. If you can't trust anyone, this whole group will just fall apart."

"Do you want to share anything about the others?" asked Roy.

He looked away. "I'm sorry. I can't say."

"Can't or  _won't_?"

"I respect people's privacy, okay? I swear I haven't told anyone about your identities. I suggest you ask them yourselves if they're willing."

"We understand," said Kaldur. "Also, there is something else I want to say. Up until now, the four of us had been discussing our situation assuming we were the most experienced."

"I figured. Dick-er, um…Future Dick already told me about how you guys are long-time friends, but the way you guys have been sticking together made it pretty obvious."

"You are more than welcome to join us and provide any information you believe we have not discovered yet."

"Thanks. And besides the Mount Justice thing, I've got nothing. Right now I'm just going through each book looking for any more clues."

"Have you actually been here before?" asked Dick.

"I've…only heard about it like yourself. But when Bruce told me about it, I did do some extra research. But all I found was the name of a local high school teacher who was mentioned as an associate of the League, Lucas Carr."

"Okay," said Wally. "Can we go back to the fact that we're  _in freaking Mount Justice_? Why hasn't the League shown up yet?"

"That's what baffles me. Any explanation I could come up with is either ridiculous or highly unlikely."

"Care to present some of them?" asked Roy.

Tim began counting with his fingers.

"One: The Overseer has a very strong defense system keeping them out. Faults: Mount Justice is supposed to be covert. The League or even the local authorities would've noticed someone making enough modifications to counter a superpowered attack. If some kind of cloaking device was used, I'm sure League sensors would've picked it up."

"Two: This is all a training simulation similar to what Batman says he conducts with Martian Manhunter which would help explain the familiar location. Faults: Prepared as he is for any situation at times, I can't even imagine Batman approving something like this. If this simulation is real, someone in the League must be a closet sociopath."

"Three: This isn't really Mount Justice. It's just a replica made to throw us off. Faults: Who would put so much effort into doing this? The resources and funds needed to pull this off would've caught the League's attention eventually, even if it was a country who didn't sign the U.N. charter."

"Four: Magic. Faults: I have no clue how any of it works."

"We can't exactly disprove any of those without evidence," said Dick.

"Except that last one," scoffed Wally.

"But it's a start. By the way, Tim, how good are you with computers?"

"It's one of my specialties actually." He rubbed his head, smiling bashfully. "I mean, I don't want to brag but…you were always praising how I was better than you at it."

Dick smiled and nodded. "Great. Maybe you can help me out in the science lab. There are some files I've been trying to crack, but without my usual tech I'm not sure if the methods I want to use will even work or end up making the files even more of a mess than they are now."

"Shouldn't be a problem. Just let me clean up here first and I'll meet you there."

"One last thing," said Roy. "What's up with you and Jason and how are we all connected to him?"

Wally was confused by Roy's question until he recalled the first day. He had almost forgotten Tim was part of that fight and that Jason had been suspicious of him.

"Just…another bird in the nest," said Tim.

" _Wait. Then…how soon is Dick going to-?"_

"If you're going to tell him about this, I would strongly prefer that you leave my name out of it and come up with another explanation for how you know him."

"Did something happen between you two?" asked Dick.

"It's…complicated. He has a temper if you haven't noticed, and I don't want to get even further on his bad side now that I revealed who he is without asking."

"We'll honor your request," Kaldur said shifting his attention towards Roy. "Thank you for your help, Tim. You are more than welcome to approach any of us with further discoveries."

"I have to say," said Wally. "I like this little book club we're forming. Any suggestions for new members?"

"I vote Bart," said Dick. He then grinned at Wally. "Unless we can't nominate family members."

"Dude, as far as I care, I don't know him."

"Despite his…eccentrics," said Kaldur, "he does seem like the most knowledgeable one given his origins."

"Have you talked to him yet?" asked Roy.

Wally laughed nervously. "Ehe… I've kind of been distracted by other things lately. I promise I'll do it by the end of the day this time. I swear!"

"That's what you said about your last English paper," said Dick. "What was it about again?"

"Okay, okay! I get it, I get it! Shut up about that!"

"What happened?" Tim asked raising an eyebrow.

"He forgot about his English paper until the night before it was due so he just 'borrowed' one of my old ones not knowing I added a few detailed paragraphs about 'his irrational fear of boy bands' and a conspiracy theory involving their sinister alliance with girls scouts."

Wally groaned as he hurried towards the closest exit.

"So he failed for plagiarism, I take it?"

"Oh no. I already dumbed down the writing, and he still got an A because he 'put so much effort into his research'. But the school actually called in a therapist to examine him! They thought he was in denial! Hahaha!"

* * *

_Evening_

* * *

(Jaime's Room)

"Hey-Hey! Wally!"

When the door had opened, Wally was immediately embraced by the only other speedster of this group. It was even tougher to make him let go this time.

"I really hope hugs are just the future way of saying hello because this is kind of creeping me out…"

"Haha! Sorry. I just got so excited to see you again! Anyway, what's going on?"

"I was actually hoping to talk to you, but you apparently weren't in your room."

"Oh, my bad. I've just been hanging out with mi amigo here." He pointed behind himself at Jaime laying down in bed.

"You're more than welcome to take him," said Jaime. "Maybe then I can finally get some peace and quiet."

"Haha! You heard that? We can't get enough of each other!"

"I can definitely see that…" said Wally as he walked inside.

Jaime's room was the most normal one so far. It had the same layout as Wally's original room, but it had superhero posters plastered everywhere. Wally could identify every member of the Justice League and some independent heroes as well.

"You a big fan of superheroes, Jaime?"

"Not really. I appreciate what they do and everything, and I had a Batman poster or two before, but this is pretty excessive. Is your room any better?"

"Well, there's certainly a lot more Flash everywhere. Wanna trade?"

"Hehe, I'll pass."

"Uh, Wally?" said Bart. "I thought you wanted to talk to  _me_?"

"Oh, right." He took a seat at the desk. "My friends and I have been talking these videos we've been receiving, and we were kind of wondering if you could tell me what you know about the future."

"Um…" He glanced at Jaime tensely sitting up. "Uh… Are you sure? It's pretty mode-ed…"

"I'm sure. I'll just stop you if I don't want to hear it anymore."

"Alright…but…can you promise me something first? Mano y mano?"

"Mano  _a_  mano," Jaime corrected him.

Wally nodded. "Sure, Bart."

"What do you think of Jaime? Fully, honestly, no holding back."

" _Was he…really asking this? Wait, does Bart actually think he's-?_ "

"Dude, you're giving the wrong impression!" Jaime sighed and turned to Wally. "He's asking if you think I'm evil and might try something."

" _Oh thank God!_ " Wally took a moment to clear his throat. "I mean, I've only just met you, man. But you seem like a good kid."

"Promise that won't change after what I tell you?" asked Bart. "I mean it! Because if not, I'm not squealing! Seriously, I've had experience with interrogation since I was four."

"I swear," Wally said hands raised. "Nothing leaves this room until you say so."

"Okay then… Uh, what exactly do you want to know again?"

"Well, you're further from the future than all of us so we thought you'd know the most about what was going on."

Bart sighed as he sat back against the bed. "I thought I did too, until those videos showed up. Now I'm just as clueless as the rest of you."

"What do you mean?"

"Why don't I just show you?"

Bart reached for a laptop next to Jaime. It was similar to Wally's but with inverted colors. After a few minutes, he handed it to Wally. Same desktop, same icons, same "Click me".

Unlike his own video, this one immediately opened with recorded footage of a ruined city. People were being forced into heavy manual labor overseen by strange humanoid beings in red military-like armor. Bart himself was among them in a few instances.

"Welcome to my world…"

"Bart Allen, son of the late Don Allen and Meloni Thawne," said the same voice as before. "In an effort to alter his future, he began working with a fellow slave to construct a time machine. The only problem was that it was a one-way trip. But Bart didn't care! Anything was better than living in this rotten godforsaken world! As the product of  _two_  lineages of speedsters, Bart could actually _save_ his doomed ancestors!"

The video then seemed to shift to present day _—_ or Wally's present day. It was footage of a supervillain attacking Central City, one he couldn't recognize. He was wearing red power armor and emitting destructive omnidirectional energy waves at constant intervals.

"He had a plan. First, as a bonus, preventing the death of his grandfather, Barry Allen, and freeing a brainwashed civilian from Reach control. Then, the  _real_  plan."

Future footage again. A rather large and muscular being wearing blue, beetle-like armor was holding a human slave by the head. There was no audio but it seemed like he was chastising the slave before tossing him aside and continuing his patrol.

"Befriend the herald of Earth's downfall, Jaime Reyes. If it weren't for him, Earth may have not fallen to the Reach's conquest. However, killing him wasn't an option. He wasn't in control of himself after all, on-mode as the Reach put it."

Another shift, this time of the same location. The Reach soldiers and human slaves were both gone. Now the only sign of life was a lone couple carrying their red-headed infant, all in tattered clothing and running away from the camera as it slightly panned upward to reveal a familiar crimson sky.

"But was all that effort in vain? If you ask me, I'd say this is  _much_  worse that what he had in mind! I wonder what change in history could've caused this?"

Finally, the dreaded message.

" _Leave if you want to find the answer!"_

Wally was at a loss for words. What in the world was that?

"My future isn't some utopia with flying cars and a booming tourism industry in time travel," said Bart. "It's hell on Earth."

"But…how?"

"Apparently this," said Jaime

The boy removed his shirt to reveal a small strange object embedded into his back. It was blue and shaped like a scarab reminding Wally of hieroglyphics he'd seen in old movies about Ancient Egypt.

"It happened one night while heading home. I was taking a shortcut through a parking lot when the nearby building just... _exploded_  out of nowhere. I found the Scarab and it ended up attaching itself to me which also gave me this power armor that can fly around and shoot lasers and stuff. But something's wrong with it right now."

"You mean besides the fact you're aren't even supposed to have weird machines on your back," said Wally.

"Funny. Anyway, the Scarab has a mind of its own and it…speaks to me sometimes. But ever since we've gotten here, it's been silent and I can't even use the armor. At first I thought I just didn't have it anymore. It would've been a relief, actually! But then I looked in the mirror…"

"I didn't like the sound of that when I heard it too," said Bart, "but nothing's happened so far."

"So is that why you've been hanging around Jaime all this time?" asked Wally.

"Well, that and we're practically best friends now!" He wrapped an arm around Jaime. "Isn't that right, amigo?"

"Bart, I like you, I'll admit that," Jaime said putting his shirt back on, "but you're getting  _way_  too clingy. I need some space, ese. Can't you hang out with some of the others?"

"Oh, I see. I get it, I get it. You just want some alone time with Cassie, am I right?"

"N-No! That's not it at all!"

"Hahaha! Fine, fine. I can take a hint." He stood up and grabbed Wally by the arm, leading him towards the door. "I thought it was high time Wally and I had some quality family bonding moments anyway."

"Hold on," said Jaime. "Wally, can you do me a favor, now that you know about my…condition?"

Wally nodded. "Name it."

"Can you and Bart keep an eye on me? When the scarab could still speak, it always gave…violent ways to solve things. Even back then, I had trouble keeping it under control. If it ever wakes up and learns that I have to  _kill_  someone to get out of here, I…don't even want to imagine what might happen!"

" _I'm going to have to start making a list of all these promises…"_

"Don't worry!" Bart answered for Wally. "Nothing's going to happen with us around! What are the words…? La union hace la fuerza!"

Jaime shook his head laughing. "It's right...but my God, your pronunciation is awful!"

* * *

_Nighttime_

* * *

(Meanwhile in the Science Lab)

"Holy cow, Tim! You're a monster at this!"

Dick had decided to take a break from his workstation and check on Tim's progress at salvaging the corrupted files. The future Robin had already accomplished more than double of what Dick had done in two days.

"What've you got so far?"

Tim double-clicked a newly created folder and opened the first file in the list. "This is the only beneficial one I have. The original formatting was lost so I just made my own."

Titled "Security Breach, Priority: Critical", it was a report chronicling the event mentioned in the blood sample analysis.

" _December 21, 2018_

_The incident occurred while Batgirl was on monitor duty. Other heroes within the vicinity included Superboy, Beast Boy, Robin, Wonder Girl, and Bumblebee._

_It began at noon when the Zeta-Beam system suddenly announced a decommissioned designation code. The first to respond was Beast Boy who, upon arrival, had found Batgirl already incapacitated with knockout gas. The masked intruder immediately attacked the boy with tranquilizer darts upon changing into his animal forms, sedating him. Next came Bumblebee who fell victim to sonic emitters disguised as decoy projectiles. Then came Superboy who engaged him in a struggle. Unfortunately, the intruder came prepared with Kryptonite. Upon being weakened, Superboy was struck by a blunt object and rendered unconscious._

_Robin and Wonder Girl were the last ones to arrive. The intruder apparently had no counter for the latter's abilities, but he was still agile enough to avoid her attacks. He himself took no interest in her and primarily focused his attention on Robin who was able to fight the intruder to a stalemate until his endurance began fading. Despite a full lockdown, the intruder eventually managed to escape using override codes that should've only been known to selected individuals._

_A blood sample was collected in the aftermath, a result of Wonder Girl managing to cut the intruder's arm with one of the knives he dropped while Robin was pinned down. An analysis report will be submitted shortly._

_The victims of this assault are currently being treated in the Infirmary, Robin sustaining the most injuries. Due to his inability to work at the moment and a possible breach of security, the investigation of this case has been assigned to Batman. All members and associates of League are being put under investigation until this situation is resolved."_

"Well, it's mentioning one of us," said Dick.

"Probably me judging by that date. But this has obvious signs that the intruder had inside knowledge of League systems. I would say it's plausible to hack your way inside given enough time, but of the people involved, only Batgirl and I are supposed to know those overwrite codes. They're not recorded anywhere besides the system itself and only passed by word of mouth…"

"Can I ask who this Batgirl is?"

"The Commissioner's daughter."

"Barbara?! Huh… I never pegged her for the hero type…"

"In any case, we should be careful now. Someone related to the League may be leaking intel. This…communal life might've been an inside job too."

"You think one of us might be a mole?"

"I don't  _want_  to think that way, but you know as well as I do that it's possible."

"…I'm going to trust them. With the way I saw all of them this morning…I think those feelings were genuine. It has to be someone else."

"Opinion doesn't mean fact."

Dick didn't respond.

"But I trust you," he said shutting down the computer. "You are the senior after all."

"Aren't you older than me?"

Tim stood up, eyeing Dick and realizing he was actually looking down at him. "Hehe! I  _am_ , aren't I? I guess now's the perfect chance to get back at all the times you've called me 'squirt'!"


	5. Chapter 1: Crossing Paths - Daily Life IV

**DAY 4**

* * *

_Morning_

* * *

(Kitchen)

Much to his surprise, Wally was the first one to show up for breakfast. Despite being a speedster, being early to the most mundane events was ironically something the universe rarely had planned for him. Wally even had to double-check the clock to make sure he hadn't overslept instead.

" _7:47, huh? Waiting for someone to cook up another buffet will just take too long... Eh, I'll just settle for some cereal."_

Wally grabbed a carton of milk from the fridge and set it on the counter. "I hope Dick hasn't eaten it all already." He opened the pantry, retrieving an already opened cereal box. "Crocky Crunch? Of all the brands, I thought you  _wouldn't_ eat this one."

As he sat down to eat, Megan arrived, happily holding onto Conner's arm.

"Oh, Wally! You're early!"

"Same to you," he said with a full mouth.

She giggled while shrugging. "Well, you know what they say: Early to bed, early to rise!"

"I take it that means both of you?"

"Oh no! I understand now that humans are a lot more private compared to Martian culture. I still want to respect your boundaries if I'm going to be living here."

"Is there anything to eat?" asked Conner.

Wally peered inside the cereal box. "There's just enough left for another bowl. But you'll have to deal with all the crumbs and sugar at the bottom. There's still plenty more in the cabinet though."

Megan hurriedly let go of Conner and threw herself towards the stove using her powers. "Oh! I don't mind cooking for you again! I'll make some for the others too! I'm sure it'll help make everyone happy!" She began opening the fridge and cabinets with her telekinesis. "Wally, would you like anything?"

"I'm good," he said dismissing her offer with a wave. "Dick's also a cereal guy. I'm not sure about Roy, but I think Kaldur would appreciate some eggs when he gets here."

"Great! I'll get started on it!"

While Megan began cooking, Conner sat down at the counter across from Wally. He stared at the speedster absentmindedly swirling his bowl with a spoon.

"You don't seem all that worried despite what you're being put through."

"Why would I? We're all friends here, aren't we?"

"It's just…not what I was raised to believe or expect."

He was a clone, Wally remembered. "Oh yeah. How  _were_  you raised anyway? You're like what? Sixteen? I don't think Superman's even been around that long. Unless you were born before he began crime fighting?"

He shook his head. "I was artificially grown from a sample of Superman's DNA in the span of four months. As for my education, I had G-Gnomes psychically teach me everything."

"Won't that…cause some problems? That's practically your entire childhood and half of high school crammed into barely two percent of it."

He averted his gaze. "If it does, I wasn't told about it."

"Education through psychic links is actually more effective," said Megan without diverting her attention. "I'm not sure if it's the same with humans or other species, but in a mindscape, time passes much more quickly. I believe it's common for a Martian child to possess the same amount of knowledge as a human adult." She paused for a second. "Though I can't say from experience since I never actually had many opportunities to participate in those types of education sessions back on Mars."

"Wait," said Wally. "Does that mean you get more days off from school?"

"You…can say that, yes. Actually, my uncle did say Earth youth don't have as much free time as Martian children."

"Aw man! I would  _kill_  to be a Martian!" It took him a few seconds to realize what he had just said. "I meant that metaphorically! Not literally!"

"To be honest," she said with a wistful tone, "that's kind of surprising. Martians primarily communicate through thoughts rather than words. Everyone knows exactly who you are no matter what you physically look like. Being here with everyone, away from all those watchful eyes around you, is a relief for me actually… Are you sure you would want to live that, especially if you end up being different from everyone?"

"When you put it that way, it sounds less exciting. But I don't think I would mind much. I've got nothing to hide, 'cept my hero life of course. Besides," he said grinning, "how could you hate  _this_  face?"

"Hehehe! Mars could use more people like you…"

They continued chatting until around a quarter after eight when the next group of people had appeared. Artemis and Jason were holding onto Gar's hands.

"I guess most of us are sleeping in today?" said the blonde.

"You can't blame 'em," Jason said as he picked up Gar and set him down on a counter seat. "You feelin' alright, kid?"

The young boy slowly nodded. "I'm hungry."

"I just finished making some scrambled eggs and bacon!" Megan said setting a plate on the counter. "I hope you like it!"

Artemis opened the fridge. "Do you want milk or orange juice or…? Oh wow, I didn't even know we had protein shakes. But you're not old enough to be drinking these anyway so…"

Gar stared at his food as he ate. "Milk, please."

Meanwhile, Jason had turned on the television to one of Gar's channels before returning to the counter and placing the remote within the boy's reach.

"I swear,' he said clenching his fists. "When I get my hands on this bastard, I'm gonna make him regret ever being born!"

"Would you  _please_  not talk about that right now?" said Artemis. "Gar's upset enough as it is."

"Sorry. I'm just so…mad that I can't do a damn thing about all this!"

"We'll find a way," said Wally. "We just need more time."

"Well it better be soon."

"So do you know if anyone else is coming?" asked Megan. "I think I already made enough for a few more people, but I would hate to make more food only for it to end up going to waste."

"Tim's probably coming. I don't know when, but he said he would."

"Wait," said Wally. "You've been talking to him? Since when?"

"He came to my room last night. He asked me a bunch of stuff and then left. I don't know why though. All I told him was-"

He was interrupted by the sudden arrival of Bart. However, this appearance was different from his usual eccentrics. The speedster actually had a concerned look on his face.

"Guys! The library! We need some help!"

"Why?" said Artemis. "Do you need us to carry a bunch of books or something?"

"No! Someone blocked all the entrances and we need some muscle to get through!" Bart quickly eyed everyone present. "M'gann! This should be easy for you! C'mon!"

The Martian didn't have enough time to respond before the speedster grabbed her arm and ran off. Those remaining took a moment to look at each other.

"Artemis," said Jason, "stay here with Gar. Wally and Conner, you're with me."

While Jason and Conner left, Wally stopped to look back at Artemis and Gar, recognizing the dread on their faces.

"Don't worry," he said with an assuring smile. "I'm sure it's nothing. Probably just a prank someone decided to pull."

That was what he consciously believed, but deep down he knew that was a lie.

When Wally rejoined the others, they were already gathered in one of the hallways connecting to the library. Megan was already at work trying to telekinetically move the bookcases blocking her path as the others watched on. Meanwhile, Tim had been the one to approach the speedster.

"Who else was with you in the kitchen?"

"Huh? Why?"

"Just tell me who!" he said glaring. "Now!"

"Uh, me, Megan, Conner, Artemis, Gar, and Jason."

"Then that only leaves…!"

Megan had meanwhile been joined by Zatanna in levitating the bookcases while the rest pushed to provide extra force now that there was less frictional opposition. Once the obstacles were cleared, everyone rushed inside. They all spread out, carefully treading the mess they had found.

The library looked like it had been ransacked. Books, chairs, tables, and ladders were strewn about everywhere. Bookshelves that weren't part of the barricades had been toppled over like dominoes.

But the worst was lurking near the center of the room. And Cassie had shrieked upon discovering it.

"Oh my God! Is that…?!"

Trapped underneath a fallen bookcase and lying facedown in small pool of blood was the Boy Wonder, unmoving as others began gathering around him.

"I…I don't hear his heartbeat," said Conner.

"No brain waves either…" Megan said after putting her hands to her head.

Wally couldn't believe it...

This wasn't happening…

Nobody could do this.

They were all lying!

Dick was still alive, dammit!

But all hope of convincing himself that this wasn't reality had been destroyed when the sound of four consecutive digital bells echoed throughout the room.

" **A body has been discovered. After a certain amount of time, a trial will be held to determine the culprit."**

Wally didn't want to believe those words, but there was no point denying it. Everyone's horrified faces said it. The proof was lying right in front of them.

Richard Grayson was dead.

* * *

**15 HEROES REMAIN**

** **


	6. Chapter 1: Get Traught or Get Dead - Deadly Life

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Surprise, bitch. I bet you thought you'd seen the last of me.
> 
> Reasons for over 1-year delay include real life, college, new videogames, and job searching.

**DAY 4**

* * *

_Afternoon_

* * *

How could this have happened? Dick? Dead? Who in the world would do this to him? _Why_ would anyone do this to him? Dick was one of the nicest guys you could ever meet. He did nothing to deserve this, dammit!

“Should we…move that bookshelf off of him?” Megan asked hesitantly.

“Don’t,” said Tim holding his arm out. “Not yet...” He stepped forward and crouched beside the body. “It’s best not to alter a crime scene any further than necessary, protect its integrity.”

“Why do I get the feeling you’re experienced with this kind of stuff?” asked Jaime.

Tim didn’t respond as he continued his examination. He moved carefully, not even disturbing the books and loose pages lying around him.

“Hey, Overseer,” said Roy aloud. “What’s this ‘trial’ thing you mentioned earlier?”

“That sounded more like a recording,” said Cassie. “Does he actually have every room installed with-?”

**“I’m sure you’re all familiar with them. The accused is brought before a jury and presented with the opportunity to defend himself. Though given the circumstances, this trial will be unorthodox. I will explain further once your time has run out. But for now, I suggest you use it wisely. Also…”**

A whirring noise was heard as the lights introduced a red tint throughout the room. Wally felt a slightly tingling sensation within his body but didn’t observe any adverse effects once the lights returned to normal. At least until…

**“To prevent the easier and obvious ways of solving this mystery, I have temporarily disabled all super powers. In addition, I realize most of you are inexperienced with criminal investigations so I have taken the liberty of compiling the following information…”**

Everyone looked up after hearing a clicking noise. A dome-shaped projector built into the ceiling slowly began to glow as a holographic screen materialized near Dick’s body. Tim was the first to approach and read aloud its contents.

_Name: Richard Grayson_

_Time of Death: 3:14 AM_

_The body was discovered in the library underneath a fallen bookcase. In addition to multiple head wounds, the victim has also sustained a few smaller injuries to the abdomen as well as a broken leg._

“Well…the basics are written down…”

So was that it? Someone really did kill Dick? And it was one of them?

No! This had to be a setup! Nobody here would be crazy enough to murder someone like this! Especially someone like Dick!

“Who did it?!” Jason suddenly shouted. “Which one of you bastards did it?!” He immediately seized the closest person. “Was it you, fish boy?!”

La’gann struggled to respond, constantly switching his attention between Jason’s raised fist and deathly glare. “N-No! W-Why would I do this to him?! Hatred between the surface world and Atlantis would be the _last_ thing I want!”

“Liar!”

“Enough,” Kaldur said restraining him. “Force will get us nowhere.”

Jason struggled but was released after calming down. “Fine. But _no one’s_ leaving this room until I know where everyone was last night!” He then pointed towards the non-blocked exit. “I’ll be waiting over there. One at a time. And you _better_ not be hiding anything!”

There were no immediate responses. The others either took some time to explore the room or sat down trying to process this whole situation.

Meanwhile Wally approached the crime scene and crouched down. Dead bodies were not foreign to him. As a superhero, it was always a possibility. As a sidekick to a forensic scientist, it was almost guaranteed.

“Dick…”

But _this_ happening to your best friend was unthinkable. Yet this was also reality, not some dumb cheesy movie where the good guys miraculously and unrealistically survive every hardship against overwhelming odds, movies that he always enjoyed watching with him.

“If it puts you at ease,” Tim said beside him, “I believe the final blow killed him instantly.”

“That’s comforting… Wait, instantly? Then what his other injuries?”

He reached forward, carefully and hesitantly lifting Dick’s head by the hair, waiting for Wally to nod his head before continuing. “They were surely painful, but certainly not enough to cause death. The culprit most likely gained the upper hand and…smashed his head on something. So Dick didn’t have to suffer a long and agonizing one.”

“So he didn’t put up a fight? Then why is the library in a wreck?”

“I’d say there was a short fight, but the culprit was trying to make it look much bigger than it actually was. But I have to question his reasoning. Doing all of this just creates more evidence against him. Then again, he could’ve acted in the heat of the moment and lost his best judgement.”

“But either way we’re closer to catching him, right?”

He nodded. “Definitely. If we’re lucky, Jason might shake a confession out of someone.”

“So you don’t think he did it?”

Jason _had_ been the one to attack Dick during the first day. Did he finally follow through on those earlier threats? It was possible, but his behavior right now could suggest otherwise. Unless it was just an act to deflect attention…

“I _know_ he didn’t do it.” Tim stood up and began reading Dick’s file again. “But given the time of death with no other apparent witnesses, it’s going to be difficult proving anyone’s involvement, let alone their innocence. However, I still have my suspicions.”

“Which are…?”

“…Nothing conclusive. I want to investigate further before saying anything. Speaking of which, I assume the culprit may have been trying to hide the circumstances behind Dick’s death or at least something that might point to him. We should be looking for anything unusual.”

“If you say so…” Wally looked around, noting that a few people had already left and a small line had formed near Jason. “But with the place like this, it might take a while. I don’t think many of the others are feeling up to it either.”

“We still have to try.” He paused and glanced at the body. “For Dick’s sake…”

“If it’s something strange you’re looking for,” Roy interrupted, “I think you should look at this.”

The archer led the pair to the back of the library. There was less damage here considering how the bookcases were built directly into the walls. However plenty of books were still tossed onto the floor, some of them torn in half. And strangely, one bookcase had some of its shelves split right down the center.

Roy picked up a desk lamp on the floor, apparently having left it there previously, and turned it on. Then he shined it on the broken bookcase. At first it seemed like nothing but wood and paper, but then Wally noticed the faint dark stains. And how they converged and lied directly underneath the shattered shelves.

“So this is where it happened,” Tim said crouching.

“The shape fits,” said Roy. “But for him to go down this easily…”

“…He let his guard down.”

“Come again?”

“Dick trusted him,” Tim said clenching his fists. “The culprit took advantage of that trust and killed him while he was still thinking about that betrayal…”

“I really hope you’re not implying me, Wally, or Kaldur did it,” said Roy.

“No, it still could’ve been anyone. It’s just that…Dick said it to me last night. He trusted everyone here…”

“And how do you know this?”

Tim sighed. “We were goofing around, talking about stupid stuff after we finished working in the science lab. Before we left, he asked about what I liked to read so I made some recommendations and said he could find copies here.” He paused, cupping his hands over his forehead. “I was tired so I just headed back to my room, but Dick headed off towards the library.” He let out a heavy grunt. “If only I had gone with him!”

Wally placed a hand over Tim’s shoulder. “Hey, you couldn’t have known. _We_ couldn’t have known.”

“More importantly,” said Roy, “ _when_ did this happen? Did you run into anyone else on your way back?”

Tim shook his head. “That was around midnight, and I was the only other one in the hallway. Still plenty of time for someone to come out if he wasn’t already hiding and waiting.”

He sighed. “Then it looks like we’re going to have to talk to everyone and weed out the liar. Wally, why don’t you go talk to Kaldur and tell him what we found? Tim and I will take a look around here some more.”

Wally nodded and headed back towards the others. The only people left were Kaldur, Jason, Bart, and Jaime, all split into pairs and speaking with each other.

Jason was recounting everyone’s accounts to Kaldur. While he spoke, he occasionally glanced at Dick’s body and grimaced each time. But Kaldur never acknowledged it, just nodded and patiently listened as if Jason never stopped speaking.

“Everyone seems to have their stories straight, but I can pretty much summarize most of it as ‘I was asleep’ or ‘I didn’t hear anything’. Typical excuses…”

“Our rooms are sound-proofed,” said Kaldur, “and the time of death is far too late to reasonably expect someone else to be around.”

“I swear, if this was _planned_ …”

“Let’s not think about that right now. Did anyone offer some helpful information?”

“Just Zatanna and Cassie. Both of them said they couldn’t sleep so they were up pretty late, assuming they even slept at all. They were hanging out in the kitchen for a few hours, dumb girl stuff probably. Dick came by and talked to them for a little bit, but it didn’t seem like anything was wrong when he left.”

“Yet they heard nothing even remotely suspicious? Despite the state of this room?”

Jason shook his head. “Zatanna said she stayed in the living room watching some late night action movies. All the explosions, screaming, and other loud noises probably drowned out or blended in with whatever noises came from here. However, from where she was sitting, she definitely would’ve seen anyone pass by.”

“And Cassie?”

“Gym. Thought a few rounds on the punching bags would tire herself out after all the snacks she ate. She apparently took a quick shower in the girls’ locker room, but she couldn’t remember what time that was. Says she was in there five minutes at the most. However based on the time from that autopsy report, she swears that she didn’t go back to her room until _after_ the murder happened.”

“Assuming it happened outside of those five minutes, then that means all the paths from here to the living quarters were essentially guarded. And neither Cassie nor Zatanna recalled seeing anyone else pass by?”

“Nope.” He turned to Wally. “Hey, you were the first one at breakfast, right? What time did you get to the kitchen?”

The speedster scratched his head. “Um…about quarter to eight. I lingered in the hallway for a bit to see if anyone else was coming but nada.”

“Damn. Zatanna went to bed a little after four. There’s still about a three-hour timeframe unaccounted for…”

“At least we’ve potentially narrowed it down,” said Kaldur. “What did you and the others find?”

“Found out where the culprit committed the deed,” Wally said pointing towards the back. “Roy and Tim are checking it out. No obvious clues yet.” He sighed. “Y’know, now I wish I paid more attention whenever Uncle Barry went into ‘Forensics Mode’. Would make me feel much more useful… Interpreting data is kind of useless if you can’t even find it first.”

“You can still help us look for clues. Everyone has already agreed to having their rooms searched.”

“They’d have to be idiots if they hid anything there,” said Jason. “You’d be surprised how many drug dealers get busted like that. Or at least in Gotham anyway.”

“While I don’t want to believe anyone here is responsible, we still have to try. Neglecting to do so will just provide more unknown factors the culprit could use against us.”

He shrugged. “Never said it was a dumb idea. Are you comfortable searching the girls’ rooms or do you want me to do it?”

“Either way does not bother me. We’ll just search whoever’s room comes next and so on.”

“You guys can go on ahead,” said Wally. “I still want to have a look around here.”

“I understand. Please come get us if you discover anything urgent.”

As Kaldur and Jason left, Wally turned towards the staircase. He hadn’t noticed it at first but the second floor was mostly intact aside from a fallen book or two. That made sense though. It was an isolated space and every bookcase was also built into the walls.

“Haha! That’s funny! And you’re telling me these things are dying out?”

Apparently Bart and Jaime had wandered up here too. They were seated at a small table reading some scattered newspapers.

“You’re still here?” asked the older speedster.

“Jaime and I wanted to help out with the investigation too!”

“And you’re doing that by reading Daily Planet comic strips?”

“He got distracted,” said Jaime. “And these were already on the table before we got here. It seemed pretty out of place so we’re looking them over.”

“Well? Anything out of the ordinary?”

“Nada. Just typical news stories from local papers looking for anything remotely interesting. A bank robbery was foiled by a visiting superhero. There was a fire that got put out. A new shopping center just had its grand opening… Any of that seem like ‘trigger’ material?”

“Hard to say. Some psychos go on a rampage just because of a seemingly innocent comment.”

“Speaking from experience?”

He laughed nervously. “Let’s just say my typical banter does NOT translate well in Gotham.”

“Well if Dick was from there, I’m sure he would’ve been more careful about that.”

“…”

“Sorry. I was out of line there, wasn’t I?”

He shook his head. “No, no... You’re right. He always did know the right things to say while still being cheerful about it.”

Bart tossed aside his newspaper. “Wally, I know you’re mode-ed about this. If you want me to handle things from here, just tell me. I’ve had my own share of lost loved ones…”

“I’m fine,” he said shaking his head. “Anyway, do you mind if I ask you guys where you were last night? Trust me. I don’t think you did it, but I just want reassurance.”

He glanced at Jaime before turning back to Wally. “Stayed up. Keeping watch over you-know-what.”

“You didn’t sleep at all? Dude, _I_ should be the one asking to handle things for you if you’re overworking yourself.”

“I took a few power naps. Don’t worry. I’m used to four-hour rests, five if I was lucky. And the threat of being killed by alien conquerors for minor slip-ups makes you a light sleeper…”

“And you never left the room?”

“I _did_ go out for a quick bite. Hyper metabolism, remember? But I swear I didn’t hear or see anything suspicious.”

“And you, Jaime?”

“I was sleeping,” he said. “I didn’t even wake up until Bart was shaking me awake and yelling at me to hurry over here.”

Wally turned back towards the other speedster. “Wait a minute, were you the first to notice what happened here?”

“Actually,” said Bart, “it was Tim who came banging on the door. Didn’t really expect him to be rallying us here. He told me to find everyone else who wasn’t in their rooms.”

“And that’s when you arrived in the kitchen?”

“Yup. And it was pretty convenient you were all there.”

“Then I guess nobody sticks out so far…”

“Hey, Wally,” said Roy tapping a shoulder from behind. “You probably want to see this.”

The three boys followed Roy back to the actual crime scene. Tim was still there but now standing before a doorway where a bookshelf should’ve been.

“Woah, secret passage,” said Jaime. “How’d you find it?”

“What do you think?” said Roy. “The clichéd book doubling as a switch trick. Anyway, it branches just ahead. We were looking for extra people to cover more ground.”

“Seeing as how Bart and Jaime are still here,” said Tim, “do any of you mind taking my place? I still want to investigate this room and a few other places.”

Both boys nodded as they headed inside.

“Wally?” said Roy.

“I think you guys have this handled. Besides, I want to go check up on Artemis and Gar.”

He nodded. “Go then.”

Wally headed towards the exit but stopped when he reached Dick’s body again. Each second he spent staring at it only served to remind him of all the broken promises they could no longer keep.

They were supposed to travel the world in style after college, a suggestion Dick once made when the Wayne fortune came up in a conversation. It was half-serious at first, but they slowly became more committed to it as the idea got fleshed out. The only argument was whether Paris would their first or final stop.

There was still a one-of-a-kind ticket for Haley’s Circus sitting in Wally’s dresser. It would’ve been a front row seat to Dick’s first public performance since the incident. At first, Wally didn’t want to accept if it meant Dick suffering from PTSD, but the acrobat insisted saying he couldn’t be Robin if he couldn’t handle a simple trapeze act.

And then there was his last one.

_We_ are _getting out of here. All of us…_

* * *

(Kitchen)

Artemis and Gar were still sitting where Wally left them when he arrived. Zatanna and Cassie were also with them, cleaning up whatever remained from breakfast.

“Wally,” said Artemis solemnly, “I’m sorry…”

“Let’s…not talk about me until this is all over, alright? How about you two? Are you okay?”

“We heard the Overseer’s announcement. I didn’t want to believe it either, but Zatanna and Cassie told us what happened.”

“Do you know who did it, Wally?” asked Gar.

Wally hesitated as he noticed the fear in the child’s eyes. “N-No, but…we’ll find him. Don’t worry.”

“I should’ve checked up on him,” said Zatanna. “I should’ve realized it was strange that I didn’t see him again before going to bed.”

“Jason said you and Cassie spoke to him last night, right? What did you guys talk about?”

She leaned back against the counter. “Dick was trying to keep our spirits up, telling us to have hope and that it was only a matter of time before either the Justice League shows up or we all figure out a way to escape together.” She then turned and pointed towards the living room. “I told him I was planning on watching movies and he was welcome to join me, but he just said that he would ‘think about it’ before heading off saying he ‘wanted to check out something first’.”

“I also invited him to the gym,” Cassie added, “but he basically said the same thing. I was hanging out there in case he showed up. Obviously that never happened, but I still stuck around a bit longer because I didn’t want to go to bed.”

Wally nodded. “Artemis? Gar?”

“We were sleeping,” said Artemis. “I put Gar to bed before heading back to my room. Didn’t see anything suspicious in the hallways either.”

“But wasn’t Jason with you too? I mean he was with you guys this morning, right?”

“Jason? I didn’t meet up with him until I woke up. He was knocking on my door actually. He wanted to know how Gar was doing and asked if he could tag along. I just said ‘Sure. Why not?’ and thought nothing of it.”

“He’s actually been following me,” said Gar. “I’ve just been pretending to not notice, but he’s almost always in the same room as me. It’s kind of creepy…”

“I think he’s just looking out for you,” said Cassie. “You are the youngest and… Um… I really don’t want to sound mean, but you are technically more ‘vulnerable’ than the rest of us. Not sure if any of you guys have been hanging out with him—I wouldn’t be surprised if you didn’t—but Jason’s actually kind of a softie and the big brother type once you get past the bad mouth and attitude.”

“Yeah,” said Artemis. “I take back some of the things I’ve said about him. He really is trying to look out for everyone…in his own weird way.”

“I’m not so sure,” said Zatanna. “He and Dick weren’t very friendly and we all saw what he was capable of the day we met.”

“Well Tim’s vouching for his innocence,” said Wally, “and he should’ve had more than enough reason to say otherwise from personal experience.”

“Really? Hm…I probably shouldn’t be jumping to conclusions then, but magicians like me make it a point to be wary of deceit.”

“I don’t think he did it,” said Gar.

She quickly shook her head. “I’m not saying that. My intuition’s just telling me he’s hiding _something_ about his relationship with Dick.”

_Another bird in the nest…_

Tim’s words echoed in Wally’s mind. He then remembered Jason’s reactions towards Dick, the seething anger on his face when he thought Dick was an imposter and when his body was discovered. Even if he is a future Robin, that extended far beyond what should’ve come from a working relationship.

_I would strongly prefer that you leave my name out of it and come up with another explanation for how you know him._

“Everyone said they’re willing to have their rooms searched, right?”

* * *

(Jason’s Room)

The room was luxurious although a bit dreary in lighting and color. A canopy bed with its drapes left open lied in the far side of the room. Across from it was a miniature library filled with what Wally assumed to be every English teacher’s fantasy. In between was a small sitting area consisting of two armchairs and a table with a small lamp on it.

Wally knew he shouldn't be doing this. It shouldn’t even be related to the case. But curiosity was getting the better of him. Besides, he technically had permission and he still had some lingering doubts about Jason’s motives. When he thought about it, Jason would be one of the only people here who could catch Dick off guard. If he personally knew Dick’s secrets and movements, shouldn’t that make him a prime suspect?

_I know he didn’t do it._

Yet why did Tim seem to put that much faith in him?

The laptop was still sitting on the table. After booting it up, Wally realized the only problem was…

“Dammit. Forgot about the bio-scan…”

He could always just ask Jason himself, but he probably wouldn’t be that willing. If he was a Robin, there was no way Wally could trick him into unlocking it. And it would be too risky sneaking materials from the science lab to trick a fingerprint scanner.

Wally paced aimlessly around the room, contemplating other options. Besides the laptop’s owner, the only other people who could possibly access them would be…

“Hey, Overseer. Can you hear me?”

**“Of course. Do you have any questions?”**

“Yeah. And before I ask, it’s just you and me here, right? Nobody else can hear us unless they walk in here?”

**“Correct.”**

“Would it be…possible to disable the locks on everyone’s computers for a bit?”

**“…”**

He sighed. “I figured as much.”

**“For investigative purposes, I shall allow it. I’ll even throw you a bone and tell you that what you’ll find may be very interesting for you.”**

After a few seconds, Jason’s desktop was displayed. It seemed like he had already personalized it to reflect any regular computer. The ominous “Click me” was nowhere to be seen, but something like that shouldn’t have been deleted by now.

When checking the Recycle Bin yielded no results, Wally tried the Videos folder. Sure enough, the threatening file was there. However, another video was placed next to it simply labeled “Drake”. Strangely, the thumbnail was a frame of Jason. The time stamp was also from last night: 3:21 AM.

Wally clicked it.

**“** So…have a seat, I guess. Sorry… Not used to having visitors.”

Apparently Jason was using the laptop camera to record himself. The boy was sitting in a chair, resting his head on his hand as he stared at whoever was across the table.

“What do you want, Drake?”

“Like I said before,” said Tim’s voice. “I just…want to talk, if it’s all right with you…”

“Okay?” he said raising an eyebrow. “About what, exactly?”

“Um…about you? Tell me about yourself?”

His stare darkened. “…Why?”

“Because I want to know.” He paused. “And we didn’t exactly get off on the right foot.”

“It was a misunderstanding,” he said rolling his eyes, “I jumped to conclusions, and I’m sorry. Yadda yadda yadda. I’m too impulsive and need to learn to control myself. Is that what you want me to say?”

“Well…you don’t have to put it like that. I can understand where you were coming from…”

“Is that so? Then do you mind telling me where you learned those moves? I never got an answer for that.”

“…How inclined would you be to believe Mom and Dad pay for martial arts and gymnastics lessons?”

He smirked. “Hm…maybe. But you’re one of Gotham’s elite and last I checked, the Drakes only have one kid. I can’t imagine Mommy and Daddy would let their precious little angel from above hurt himself.”

“But as a resident of a city with one of the highest crimes rates in the country, I need to be able to defend myself, don’t I?”

“That’s what big strong bodyguards are for. Tell me. How much do you pay them?”

“…More than enough.”

“Huh…well at least you’re not one of the stingy types.”

“Truth be told… My parents probably wouldn’t have been opposed to the idea of hiring instructors if I asked. They would’ve bought me anything actually.”

“Aw, how precious.”

“I know they meant well, but I doubt they actually knew or cared about what I liked. Mom just wanted me to be successful at everything I do, and Dad wanted me to study hard so I could run the family business.”

Jason sat up and then leaned forward. “You’re using past tense which would mean-“

“It happened while they were on vacation. Some lunatic caught them and demanded a ransom.”

“Let me guess. It was paid but he didn’t keep his word?”

No response.

“And you’re telling me this…why? I’m…sorry about what happened to your folks, but I didn’t need to hear your life story. And weren’t you the one asking me for _mine_? I’m still waiting for an answer on my earlier question.”

“I like to take pictures.”

Jason sighed as he sat back, letting Tim continue.

“Even before the kidnapping, my parents were never home that often. If not in boarding school, there was usually a nanny taking care of me. We never really paid her to stay during the evening although she was nice and caring enough to do it for free if she was available. The days where she _wasn’t_ around would be times when I’d sneak out into the city with my camera.”

“That’s pretty gutsy of you. Not even worried about running into trouble?”

“I’m not an idiot. I didn’t make myself look like I was carrying anything valuable.”

“I wasn’t talking about getting mugged.”

“…I knew the risk, but I found it much better and more exciting than shutting myself up inside my room all day.”

“Unless you’re the artistic type, what’s so ‘exciting’ about taking pictures in the middle of the night?”

“…This.”

The camera didn’t capture the full scene, but by the time Jason was back in the frame, he was holding a couple of photographs, staring at them in awe.

“The Overseer seems to have placed my entire collection in my room. Those are just some of my better ones. It’s hard to get a clear picture when…you know…”

“I’m just surprised you even managed to take these without anyone knowing,” Jason said going through each photo. He then looked up. “Does _he_ even know?”

“Not that I’m aware of. Some of those are of Dick by the way.”

This time Jason had no response.

“Skipping ahead to my parents’ kidnapping. My dad actually survived, but he was left in a coma and thus deemed unfit to take care of me. With no other living relatives…”

“They put you in Child Services… I think I can see where this is going...”

“Do I need to continue? I’m sure there’s enough information to piece together the answer to your question.”

“No need,” he said shaking his head. “So…did you blackmail your way into the Manor or what?”

“Not…exactly, but I did use them to help plead my case. A gave a whole lecture on how I could be useful to him: monitoring security feeds, identifying crooks, getting into databases, and other stuff.”

“Heh, I can just imagine the look on his face,” he said grinning. “No wait. It probably wasn’t that different from the usual scowl, huh?”

He let out a small laugh. “Alfred’s actually the one who was chuckling. Well, more like a satisfied and self-indulgent huff, but you could tell he was amused.”

“So then…I have a little brother now? Or _will_ have one?”

“I hope we can get along better this time. We never got to see each other much, from my perspective anyway, since you were often too busy with work and everyone was already on your case about what college you’d be going to...”

“I’m sorry about my…future self’s hectic schedule. But with Dick gone, _someone_ has to pick up his slack, y’know?”

“You don’t have to tell me twice. Anyway, I just wanted to get all that off my chest before I go to bed. Sorry about disturbing you.”

“Forget about it,” he said standing up. “Although next time, try not to do this in the goddamn middle of the night.”

Jason left the screen, but Wally heard the sounds of footsteps, an exchange of goodbyes, and a door closing before the boy came back and ended the video feed.

“Brother?”

Jason was adopted? By Bruce Wayne? That would explain his clothes. But Tim too?

“He’s not going to be happy when he finds out you went through his stuff, y’know.”

Wally quickly spun to see Tim standing by the door, hands in his jacket pockets. The future Robin maintained a neutral expression as he walked forward and sat across from Wally.

“…How long were you standing there?”

“Around the moment I started talking about my hobbies. By the way,” he said pointing, “you forgot to close the door all the way.”

Wally remained silent for a moment, both out of embarrassment and anticipation. “Well? Aren’t you going to ask me why I’m snooping around in here?”

“I should, but I won’t.”

“In other words, you already know?”

“I can only make guesses. If I’m right, then I’ll say this: Dick and Jason were very close. I would even dare to say that their closeness rivaled even you and him. The only thing that kept it from trumping yours is time.”

“He did say he was a Gotham street kid… I guess Dick really wanted to show him there was someone who cared.”

“Jason doesn’t like to admit it—wouldn’t be caught dead saying it actually—but the fact remains that he loved Dick as a brother. And now that he’s gone…”

“He’s more determined than anything.”

As Tim was about to speak, he was interrupted by the sound of an announcement.

**“Your time for investigation has run out. Please gather by the south side of the central chamber for further instructions.”**


	7. Chapter 1: Get Traught or Get Dead - Trial

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> College barely gives me free time anymore to work on this...

**Day 4**

* * *

_Evening_

* * *

(Central Chamber)

Wally and Tim were the last to arrive as everyone else was standing before the sealed entrance together. Jason broke off and questioned the reason for their tardiness, but the doors began opening before either could respond.

Nothing seemed to have changed except for the center platform. There was now a metal circular railing that came up to just above most of their waists and encompassed the Overseer’s monitor.

**"Welcome back."**

The doors closed as everyone stepped inside. Afterwards, sixteen more holographic monitors at varying heights appeared around the Overseer's, each bearing one of their names in large bold letters.

**"Please take your respective stands."**

Wally found his place between Kaldur and Connor. Starting from his left, he watched the rest take up their positions: Megan, Roy, Artemis, Zatanna, Jason, La'gaan, Gar, Tim, Cassie, Jaime, Bart, and Virgil. The only empty spot was...

**"And allow me to fill in the gap."**

Suddenly a life-size and blue-tinted hologram of Dick in his Robin attire materialized in front of the monitor with his name. Both Virgil and Kaldur as well as a few others shrunk back.

"What the hell!?"

**"For those of you who may not already know, Richard Grayson enjoyed a double life as Robin, the Boy Robin."**

"Okay," said Zatanna, "but why’d you put a hologram of him there instead of just shrinking the circle? It's not like he can do anything anymore..."

"Ditto," said Cassie. "And that cheery grin is really creeping me out. It's like he's a ghost watching us or something..."

**"My original intention was to have it serve as a reminder for why you're all here. However, I suppose you can also interpret it as having Richard here in spirit and participating in this trial."**

"That...just makes it even worse," said Virgil.

"I say keep it there," said Jason as he slowly eyed each one of them. "Who knows? Maybe it'll feed into your guilt?"

**"Now then, let's begin with an explanation of the trial."**

Everyone's monitors switched to an enlarged screenshot of the crime scene, the accompanying autopsy report beside it in a smaller window, and a panel of icons along the bottom with everyone's portraits on them including Dick's. Wally and some of the others were quick to begin experimenting with them.

The monitors acted as moveable touch devices. The screenshot of the crime opened a rotatable 3D model of the library, also allowing one to toggle between the room’s original and ruined state as well as zoom in and highlight specific locations. The autopsy report window simply opened the aforementioned document in a larger format. The panel of portraits opened profiles of all sixteen of them. However, the information was relatively bare-boned, nothing that they didn’t already know about each other except some rather revealing medical information that Wally immediately closed when absentmindedly looking through Artemis’ profile. Finally, all of this could be fed into the main monitor, although the Overseer’s silhouetted image took over when he spoke.

**"One of you is guilty for the murder of Richard Grayson. Your job is to figure out the one responsible. You may discuss this amongst yourselves and present your arguments until you've come to an agreement. But in the end, you will need to vote on whoever you believe is the culprit. The majority will be your collective choice."**

"Pick wrong and the killer gets off scot-free," said Roy, "but what if we do get it right? The killer stays and you just expect us to tolerate him?"

**"Of course not. If you choose correctly, the guilty party will be executed for his crime."**

Jason scoffed, "Death penalty, huh? Serves him right..."

"Isn't that a little harsh?" Megan asked worriedly.

"This is first-degree murder we're talking about! And don’t you dare pull the ‘Maybe it was an accident’ card!"

"I know that! But…we're all being pushed here. We’ve all done things we really didn’t want to do before, right?"

"That still doesn't excuse you for doing something like this!"

**"But of course, if you choose incorrectly, the killer goes free and everyone else is executed instead."**

"Now hold on!"

"We _all_ get executed for picking the wrong person?" asked Virgil. "What kind of messed up logic is that!? And if _you_ already know who did, why don’t you just get it over with already?"

**"This is your punishment for letting yourselves be deceived. Attempting to convict an innocent party and letting him receive undeserved sentence makes you all just as guilty as the culprit. And hosting another trial would be redundant at that point."**

"That's still messed up!" said Wally. "We're human! We make mistakes!"

**"And how many innocents have suffered because of those mistakes? You may be able to forgive and forget, but it's not always that simple."**

"Yeah, but-!"

**"Tell me. What if you believed someone was the person who murdered your best friend and you executed him for it? But later you learned he was innocent and another person was actually the one who committed the deed. How would you respond? You cannot possibly take it back at that point."**

“No system is perfect,” said Tim. “There’ll always be flaws, but it’s still our responsibility to make the best out of it.”

**“Nevertheless. Those are the rules here. Failure to comply will be met with similar consequences.”**

“It’s not like a have choice,” said La’gaan. “We’re all pretty much being held at gunpoint anyhow, right?”

"Okay," said Cassie, "so how do we start this thing? The trials you see on TV obviously don't go like this. Was that intro our opening statement?"

"Even if it was,” said Kaldur, “let's review what we already know.” He brought up the autopsy report. “The victim was Rob-I mean...Richard Grayson. Time of death: 3:14 AM. The cause appears to have been severe head trauma judging by the wounds."

"Obviously someone bashed his head in." Jason placed his hands on the railing and leaned forward. "Let me say this now, I _will_ find out who did it and he _will_ pay. Nobody messes with Dick! You hear me, you bastard?! Nobody!"

"And how do we know that you're not playing innocent and trying to throw us off?" asked Zatanna. "Last I checked, you were the one who attacked him on the first day."

"That was just a misunderstanding! You all know how confused we all were! Besides, even if I did decide to kill someone, Dick would've been my last choice."

"Good to know..." said Virgil.

"Okay,” he said crossing his arms. “For those still doubting me, let's say I _did_ kill him for a sec. How _stupid_ would I have to be to do that so soon after our little fiasco? It would be too obvious! I might as well be wearing a shirt that says 'I'm the killer' in big obnoxious flashy-colored letters! Even a kid could understand how idiotic that would be. Right, Logan?"

Gar looked around before replying. "Um...I guess?"

"Besides," said Tim, "he has an alibi. I was with Jason in his room around the time when the incident occurred. Both of us were awake."

"Can we ask why?" Roy said raising an eyebrow.

"Huh," said Bart, "I didn't know you were into that kind of stuff, Tim."

"That's not what we did!" Tim shouted. "I just...wanted to ask him a few questions. I assure you, what we talked about has nothing to do with this case. Jason can attest to that."

"Just personal stuff about what I did before we got here," said Jason. "Seriously, Tim? Did you really have to wake me up in the middle of the night for that? Couldn't it have waited until breakfast or something?"

"I was anxious. I couldn't sleep without getting answers."

"Whatever," he said while looking away. "It's not like we could've saved him either way..."

"Okay," said Jaime, "so Jason and Tim are innocent. But what about the rest of us? Bart and I were also together last night so we're clear, right?"

"Not exactly," said Roy. "The killer could still have an accomplice."

That statement earned him some looks.

"What? But that's an awful thing to say!" said Megan. "Two of us killed Dick? That idea is just too cruel..."

"I'm with her on that," said Wally. "And how do we know the killer is one of us? For all we know, the Overseer could've killed him and lied to get us to turn on each other!"

Part of Wally still refused to believe one of them was guilty. No one would've resorted to killing. No one would've been that desperate to escape. No one would’ve betrayed his friends like this.

They _were_ all friends, right?

"Sorry, Wally, but you can't deny the possibility. We already have a body. And we all saw our motive tapes. Who can’t say two or more people worked together to make the escape condition easier on themselves? After all, letting at least one other person escape is better than none at all."

"And just how many people?" said Artemis. "By that logic, all fifteen of us could've worked together and we're just pretending to not know the 'culprit' for the sake of formality."

**"While that idea sounds very interesting, only the person who committed the deed may leave."**

"But what about striking Dick’s head at the exact same time?" said Cassie. "That seems like it would be a pretty big loophole to that rule."

"Maybe," said Bart, "but I think you can always exploit how you define 'at the same time'."

"What's there to define?" asked La'gaan. "English isn’t my native language, but 'At the same time' is...'At the same time'."

"I mean is it really possible to do things at the same time?"

"You’re not making any sense. Is this some kind of future science we haven't discovered yet?"

"What? No! You guys are thinking about this all wrong! Crash that mode! You should get what I'm saying. Right, Wally?"

Wally repeated Bart's words to himself. "Crashing...our mode?"

"Y'know. As a fellow speedster, you should notice it every day."

"...Are you talking about limits?"

"Is that what they really called it? Huh, simpler than it I thought." He shrugged. "Never bothered checking if that was the actual name, just the concept."

"What's a limit?" asked Gar.

"I don't want to go too far into math theory, but an example would be a number getting smaller and smaller but never reaching zero. Like radioactive isotopes and their half-lives, although those technically aren’t the best examples. But if you apply the concept to time, I guess you can argue that two events practically never happen at same time. They'll almost always be a fraction of a second off. It's like how they use playback footage at race tracks to determine who won when it looks like a tie. Though when your senses are enhanced with super speed, you notice this stuff all the time."

An altered perception of reality was one of first things Wally had to adjust to after acquiring his powers. While it technically only took a few days, it personally and literally felt like weeks. It also didn’t help that it still triggered subconsciously for some time afterward, making English and History classes even longer and more boring than they needed to be.

"So only one person could have delivered the killing blow," said Connor. "That’s not difficult to figure out."

"Okay," said Zatanna, "but not all of us are math or science buffs here. Who would even think about a technicality like that?"

"Yeah," said Virgil, "And I'm pretty sure even my friend, Richie, would agree that something like a nanosecond difference isn't enough to shift the kill cred from Person A to Person B."

"That doesn't matter," said Roy. "What matters is that whoever helped the culprit now knows he isn't getting to leave with him."

"Assuming there is one."

"If there is an accomplice among us, you better rat out your partner now. Are you really going to take that gamble? At best, you'll only have a fifty percent success rate. If you’re going down, you might as well take the other one down with you."

The room fell silent. Piercing glares were exchanged. And then the Overseer let out a hearty laugh.

**"Hahaha! I was going establish that there are no accomplices, but I found your speculation quite intriguing and informative. Well done."**

"Yeah," said La'gaan, "thanks for wasting our time, Roy. Now we're back to square one."

"Hey, if you want to solve a case, you need to approach it from all possible angles and eliminate them until there’s only one left. It's the only way to find the truth...or at least I _want_ to believe that's what Dick would say."

Silence again when Dick's name was said. Wally noticed Jason and Tim wincing. Kaldur was stoic, but Wally thought he was just reigning his emotions so this trial could proceed smoothly.

"How about we go back to the alibis?" said Jaime. "Anyone else able to prove that they're innocent?"

No response for a while.

"It was pretty late," said Artemis. "I’m pretty sure the rest of us were asleep in our rooms...which we can't exactly prove unless any perverts would like to make themselves known."

"Then let us discuss the crime scene instead," said Kaldur. “When we all arrived at the library, Cassie was the first to discover Dick’s body trapped underneath the fallen bookshelf if I recall correctly.”

“I’m surprised I didn’t freak out more than I did…” she said. “Probably because I didn’t see a bloodied face...”

“Was the bookshelf pushed on top of him?” asked Megan. “He had a broken leg, right?”

“I wouldn’t deny the possibility,” said Tim, “but if that was the case, then both of his legs should have been broken. Or at least the other one should’ve suffered notable damage. Yet the only other afflicted areas were his abdomen and forehead.”

“So he got into a fight then?” asked Virgil. “But you all saw his reflexes on the first day. If one of us _did_ fight him, both people should at least have _some_ scrapes or bruises on their bodies, right?”

“Just putting it out there before someone suggests it,” said Artemis, “I am _not_ stripping unless you can prove absolutely it’s the only way to catch the culprit.”

“He could’ve been jumped,” said Jaime. “Not everyone plays fair, y’know?”

“But my question,” said Kaldur, “is who would be able to accomplish that? I mean no offense, but my first suspicions would have been Jason or Tim given their previous displays. However, they obviously can prove each other’s innocence.”

Roy turned his head towards Tim. “Well? Care to enlighten the rest of us?”

Tim averted his eyes. “I believe it’s highly probable that Dick let his guard down. I spoke with him before he met with the girls. He had complete faith in every person here.”

“Just like that?” asked Zatanna. “That makes his death even more heart-breaking…”

“Why was he even going to the library?” asked Cassie hastily as she turned towards Wally. “Was he one of those people who reads themselves to sleep? Why else would he have gone there instead of sticking with Zatanna or me?”

Actually, Wally wondered about that too. He rarely, if ever, learned about Dick’s personal quirks during his home life. Even if he wanted to, it would’ve been impossible when Wally himself technically wasn’t supposed to know the Dick-Robin connection in the first place. He wasn’t even sure if Batman caught on to it already.

As he was about to explain this, Tim spoke up before him.

“I…” He was wincing again. “It was my fault. I told him about some books and where he could find them.”

“And you swear you never told anyone else about this?” asked Roy.

He nodded. “As far as I know unless someone overheard us.”

“Even if someone did,” said Zatanna, “he still would’ve had to walk past either me or Cassie. And we can assure you that it never happened!”

“Unless one of you is lying,” said Connor.

“Excuse me?”

“I can’t hear anyone’s heartbeat right now, but I can still raise the possibility that one of you could be lying.”

“That’s ridiculous!” said Cassie. “Why would either of us lie about where we were?!”

“Well,” Megan said hesitantly, “there’s what was shown in your videos...”

“Are you serious?! Sure, I love my mom. She’s the only family I have left—who bothers to be around anyway. And I _really_ want to know what happened to her, but I would never resort to murder!”

“That goes double for me,” said Zatanna. “I wouldn’t even be able to _face_ my dad if I did something like that.”

“Connor does have a point though,” said La’gaan. “I mean…I don’t think any of us can prove you were where you say you were.”

“And that’s reason enough to suspect us?”

“N-No!” he said waving his arms. “I’m just saying it’s hard to say where each of us were if the only thing we have to rely on is each person’s own testimony!”

“Which I’m pretty sure brings us right back to where we started,” said Artemis, “no closer to figuring out whodunit…”

“Even so,” said Kaldur, “we still have more room for discussion.” He brought up the ruined library model. “Let us address the state of this room. I, for one, highly doubt it was the result of a fight.”

“Everything’s all over the place though,” said La’gaan.

“And that’s the problem,” said Jason. “ _Everything’s_ been tossed onto the floor. If a riot broke out, that could explain it, but a one-on-one would be tidier than that.”

“Huh?”

“Assuming a prolonged fight did take place,” said Tim, “at best there should’ve been a ‘path’ or ‘sequence’ of events to follow, but the layout is just too chaotic. I highly doubt both Dick and the culprit would exhaust every single option to attack or defend themselves. However, even if it were true, there are still glaring issues with this scenario. First off, why didn’t Dick just run away and call for help? The entrances presumably shouldn’t have been blocked off yet. And if they were, the openings should’ve been enough for an acrobat like him to get through.”

“He had a broken leg though,” said Artemis. “How would he be able to do that, let alone get away from the culprit in time who apparently didn’t get a scratch on him?”

“Okay then. That leads to my second point. So Dick’s movement was handicapped? Why then would the culprit take so long or need to chase him throughout the entire room? I know Dick was resourceful, but his options were limited, especially at his disadvantage.”

Wally remembered Dick’s injuries, particularly how he had experienced some of them himself. A broken leg was _not_ easy to move around with, if not just painful to endure. As sidekicks, they were trained to have some pain tolerance. But combining a freshly broken leg with a few heavy punches to the gut wouldn’t sit well with either of them. If anything, Dick should’ve been lying on the floor clutching himself for a bit before he even considering getting back up. And that would mean…

“He was dead before it all happened…” Wally said aloud.

Tim nodded as he zoomed in on the broken bookshelf. “While Dick was immobilized, the culprit presumably emptied these specific shelves, grabbed his head, and smashed it against them. The force was enough to kill him instantly.”

“But why go through all that trouble to wreck the library and move the body under the bookshelf?” asked Zatanna. “It’s not like it changes anything. Besides, he practically sealed himself in that room. How did he get out? Everyone else was together before we found the body.”

“Think again,” said Roy. “There’s actually more to where he died.” He took over the monitor, shifted the view to the next shelf, and zoomed in on some books. “There, that book labeled ‘The Mysteries of Udolpho’.”

“That thing?” said Jason. “Can’t say I’m a fan of that one.”

“There’s a mechanism that opens a secret passage if you try to pull it out.”

“Oh, wow! So they really do have that kind of stuff in real life,” said La’gaan.

“Bart, Jaime, and I scouted it out. It’s pretty much an entire network that can take you anywhere throughout the building. And guess where one of the exits is…”

“I ended up in the storage room down the hall from our rooms,” said Jaime. “Bart already beat me to it and was in the middle of scarfing down some Chicken Whizees.”

“They were delicious I should add,” said Bart happily rubbing his belly. “Helped myself to a couple more last night too!”

“Moving on,” said Roy, “the culprit already had a nice and handy escape route. Which means he could’ve killed Dick and easily went back to his room without anyone noticing. The ruined library was likely created to lure us away from discovering it. You’re welcome, by the way.”

“So now the few alibis we had are now useless,” said Artemis. “Great…”

“Wait,” said Wally. “ _why_ would the culprit know about the secret passage in the first place?”

Nobody else here seemed like the studious type except for Tim and apparently Jason. And even if they were, what would be the chances of them selecting that one book out of thousands? Probability wasn’t his forte, but he was sure that those facts did not add up.

“Tim?” Roy said again expectantly.

All eyes were on the future Robin who was grimacing.

“It was…one of the books I recommended,” he said. “I swear I never actually touched it before the investigation! I only saw it while glancing through the library’s collection the day before. I made a mental note of its location since I already read it before.”

“The more this goes on,” said Jason, “the more it’s starting to sound like you deliberately set him up…”

“I wouldn’t! You should know that more than anyone else here!”

“Kind of hard to do that when I can’t deny the possibility that everything you said to me last night was a lie. Now that I think about it, it _is_ pretty convenient you got on my good side…”

“At least let him explain further,” said Kaldur. “Why in particular did you recommend that book?”

Tim paused as if he seemed genuinely stumped for the first time ever, the thought having never crossed his mind. “I’m not sure. I just saw it and…thought it was interesting?”

“That isn’t helping your case,” said Jason. “The fact you unwittingly gave Dick a death sentence is making your suspiciousness skyrocket.”

“I remember you saying that you and Jason were together last night,” said Connor. “What time was it exactly?”

“3:21 AM,” said Wally without thought. Before realizing the implications of what he had just said, Connor spoke again.

“Dick died at 3:14 AM. The time frame fits: You murdered Dick and went to Jason’s room using the secret passage immediately afterward so you would have an alibi.”

“Then how would you explain the library’s current state?” asked Tim. “I won’t deny that I could pull that off, but when would I have found time to _actually_ do it?”

“You went back after you were done talking. Going from Jason’s room, yours is down the same hallway as the storage room, right? And didn’t someone say you were the one waking everyone else up to hurry to the library this morning?”

“Y-Yes, but only because I discovered that the entrance was blocked. I wanted to get something new to read before breakfast. I just assumed the worst and ran for help.”

He was silent for a moment before crossing his arms. “It’s still pretty convenient…”

“What about Bart?” asked La’gaan. “You said you were awake last night eating Chicken Wizards, right?”

“ _Whizees_ ,” the speedster corrected him as he started counting. “Yes, I was eating them. No, I didn’t know about the secret passages before now. Finally, I…don’t exactly know what times I actually went to the storage room.”

“You went more than once?” asked Kaldur.

“It’s a come-and-go thing for me. I scarf down a bag, take a few back to Jaime’s room, finish them there, wait until my metabolism kicks in—which is not long by the way—and head back for more. Rinse and repeat. Oh, and I never saw anyone else if you’re going to ask.”

“Wait,” said Cassie, “wouldn’t that mean Bart was also blocking the culprit from going back to his room like me and Zatanna did?”

“His movement was too sporadic,” said Tim. “I’m leaning towards it just being a coincidence that the culprit emerged from the secret passage while Bart was still in Jaime’s room.”

“What if he was invisible?” asked Virgil. “Megan, you can do that kind of stuff, can’t you?”

“Camouflage is _completely_ different from invisibility,” said the Martian. “And I still need to practice that ability.”

“But you can also phase through objects,” said Roy. “Some of us saw you do it while trying to escape this place.”

“Density-shifting takes a _lot_ of concentration for me though. And it requires knowledge of the material’s composition. I still have a hard time figuring out what the walls are made of. There are too many different elements in it.

“But you still could’ve done it,” said Jason. “Killed Dick and wreck the library with some easy telekinesis, then camo and phase back to your room like nothing happened.”

“N-No! I mean…I guess I could if I used my-Wait, no! I wouldn’t have! Dick was nice to me! I would never do that to him!”

Megan’s breathing hastened as more eyes were drawn to her. She slowly stepped back, gripping her arms and muttering incoherently to herself in presumably Martian language. Artemis quickly left her stand to console her as Jaime, Zatanna, and a few others tried to calm her down from afar to no avail.

“Wait!” Gar suddenly shouted. “She couldn’t have done it! M’gann goes to bed at eight o’clock!”

The room went silent again, Megan included although clearly still distressed and sniffling.

“Say that again?” said Roy. “Sorry to doubt you, but you’re not exactly…um…”

Gar ignored the unintended insult and took a moment to think. “Well, eight’s usually been my bedtime. My mom always gets angry if I’m not in bed by then because we get up early a lot to tend to the animals.”

“Uh, I hate to break it to you,” said Jaime, “but we don’t really pay much attention to bedtimes. You break it more often than you don’t, actually…”

“But M’gann acts almost exactly like the main character from an old TV show my mom was part of: _Hello, Megan_.”

“Never heard of it,” said La’gaan. “And that should mean something when Atlantis’ surface world media collection is _really_ outdated.”

“Probably because it was super obscure even for its time,” said Zatanna. “I only know about it because I found some of my dad’s VHS tapes while cleaning our attic.”

“And you watched them?” asked Roy.

“I just put on a few episodes as background noise so I didn’t really remember too much.” She then turned to Megan and examined her more closely. “But now that I think about it… Yeah… Ignoring the green skin, you’re a dead ringer for Megan!”

“Hoowee... And I thought _I_ was an obsessive fanboy,” said Bart.

At this point, it seemed that Megan had finally calmed down, nodding and urging Artemis to return to her stand.

“It…It’s true,” she said. “Megan…was an inspiration for me back on Mars. When I came to Earth, I thought looking like her would help me fit in. And it seemed to work too because most of you have been nice to me.”

“I just thought your quirks were a Martian thing,” said Cassie. “Never really thought you were trying to act like someone from an old sitcom.”

“They’re still getting our old broadcasts,” said Wally. “Some of them are apparently real hits.”

“Exactly how much of ‘Megan’ is an act then?” Roy said turning and staring her down.

“Like I said,” said the Martian, “Megan was my role model. I essentially saw her as…well…a human version of myself. The only main challenge of adjusting here was going to bed earlier than others.”

“You’re dedicated to your goals,” said Tim, “with a desperation of being accepted by your peers. Enough that I find it hard to believe you’d break character. Ergo, I don’t believe you’re the culprit.”

“Then who is it?” said La’gaan. “We’ve been going back and forth and still haven’t gotten anywhere! Most of us can’t even prove we were sleeping!”

“Let’s start from the beginning again now that we’ve establish some new information. Was this premediated murder? Doubtful. The culprit’s success hinged on using the secret passage. If he didn’t, he’d risk being discovered. Sure, it was the middle of the night, but you can never be too careful. Plus, the passage’s existence was presumably only discovered just before the murder. It was a now-or-never moment.”

“So isn’t the key just figuring out who could’ve wrecked the library like that?” said Roy.

“But that still doesn’t help much considering what some of us are capable of,” said Connor. “Like we said earlier, M’gann could’ve use kinesis, Zatanna could’ve used magic, and a bunch of us could’ve used our enhanced strength.”

“Connor,” said Megan, “you still doubt me…?”

“…I’m only stating the facts.”

“If so,” said Tim, “then you don’t deny that it’s possible you could’ve done it?”

“Huh? Well…yeah. I don’t think any of us can have alibis anymore because of that secret passage.”

“That is true. Well then, why don’t we talk about that a little more? There’s one thing about it that still bothers me. But first, I want to know something else.” He turned his attention to Kaldur and Jason. “What was the result of the room search?”

“Didn’t find nuthin’,” said Jason with a shrug. “I can guarantee you that we were thorough.”

“I would also like to add that we searched the rest of the facility,” said Kaldur. “However, we did not find anything out of the ordinary either.”

 “So what’s still bothering you?” asked Roy. “If you were hoping that one of us found something, then I think it’s safe to assume you believe something was taken from the library. You _would_ be the highest authority on that considering how often you’ve been there.”

Tim nodded as he took over the monitors again and zoomed in on the broken bookshelf, specifically the blood stains. “The blood was wiped, but we never found anything that was used to do so.”

“So if we find that,” said Virgil, “we have our killer?”

“But what did they use?” said Artemis. “You said that for them it was ‘now-or-never’, right? So they had to use something in the library.”

“Was there anything else stained with blood?” asked Cassie.

Tim shook his head. “There were a few pages near the body. However, none of them were wrinkled in a manner to suggest being used like a cloth.“

“I can’t think of anything,” said Wally, “but whatever it was, couldn’t they have gotten rid of it by now? They had plenty of time to do it without anyone noticing.”

“Well, can you offer any possibilities for destroying the evidence? Jason and Kaldur already attested to finding nothing throughout the entire facility.”

“You can always eat it,” said Zatanna. “Gross, but I’ve been accused of doing that with my props before.”

“And can you really be sure that we searched _everywhere_?” said La’gaan. “This place is kind of big after all.”

“You sayin’ I did a crummy job?” said Jason.

“No! I just… What if they hid it in plain sight?”

“You have a point,” said Kaldur. “But can we assume the culprit was willing to risk wandering the facility hoping nobody else would catch him?”

“He couldn’t have known _when_ Zatanna and I would go back to our rooms,” said Cassie. “If I were him, I’d try to hide it ASAP.”

“Something that was at the crime scene,” said Bart, “but easily disposable without anyone noticing…”

The group continued exchanging looks, struggling to come up with plausible explanations. One by one, suggestions came up only to be shot down by someone else.

“Couldn’t he have burnt it?” asked Artemis.

“We already said Zatanna was in the kitchen and living room area,” said Jason. “The only other place you could burn something is the science lab, but none of the equipment capable of that had been used recently. Plus, you’d still have to get rid of the ashes.”

“Flushing it down the toiler?” asked Virgil.

“Nothing in the sceptic tank,” said La’gaan eliciting some disgusted reactions. “Blame your waste disposal centers dumping stuff into the ocean and desensitizing us to the more common smells.”

“Washing it in the laundry room?” asked Jaime.

“The only people who’ve used the machines were the ones who got food all over them during dinner the other night,” said Kaldur. “That means you, Wally, Connor, and Virgil. Wally’s clothes are still in his room, while the rest of your clothes, and only the stained ones, are still in the machines. The rest are empty.”

 “This is useless,” said Connor. “We’re never going to figure this out until we have something more concrete.”

That drew even more looks of distress. Yet his words rang true. Without anything else to go on, all they could do was guess. Even if they did know what was taken from the library and how it was disposed of, would it even make much of a difference? Most of them were equally as capable of doing it.

The uncomfortable silence persisted. Until…

"…Then why were you out of your room last night?"

"What?"

Tim’s stare grew colder. "You don't remember? I distinctly remember you walking down the hallway last night. Right past my doorway."

Connor hesitated as his eyes grew wide. It was brief but just long enough for suspicion to fall on him. "W-Wait! Hold on! You didn’t mention any of this earlier! Why now?”

“Answer. The. Question.”

Conner’s body grew tense, tightly gripping the metal railing as he stared down Tim.

“…”

Strength beyond the capabilities of any normal man…

_No…_

“Or at least prove that I’m lying. Like Wally said earlier, I was with Jason until sometime after 3:21 AM. The murder occurred at 3:14 AM. Additionally, you claimed I had the opportunity to murder Dick given the timeframe. However, let’s reverse that. I could’ve just as easily seen or heard the culprit coming _back_ from committing the deed.”

“…”

A person who was the spitting image of the most beloved hero on this planet…

_He didn’t…!_

“Let me be more specific. My room is a few doors down from Jason’s while yours is in the opposite direction. Therefore, it’s perfectly reasonable to expect running into each other if we both just happened to be returning to our rooms in this scenario. What’s more, one of the secret passage’s exits is the storage room which is exactly in the direction of where you would’ve been coming from…”

“…”

Someone Dick had no reason to distrust…

“It was you!” Wally finally shouted, grabbing the clone by the collar of his shirt. “You sick bastard! Why!? Why’d you do it!?”

“I didn’t! You’re wrong!”

“Prove it then!”

“I don’t need to prove anything! Tim could be making that story up just so you’d have someone to blame!”

“I kept my door slightly open,” said Tim. “I couldn’t really go to sleep after my talk with Jason so I was reading a book at my desk. That’s when I heard the sound of a door shutting closed. A few seconds later and through the crack, you walked by and returned to your room.”

“Let’s give him the benefit of the doubt,” said Jason. “By the way, I was bluffing when I doubted Tim earlier. I was only trying to bait the culprit into making accusations and maybe let something slip. And whaddya know? You jumped right on board and tried pinning the crime on him earlier. Isn’t it also convenient that you were the one who tried casting suspicion on the girls too?”

Connor had no response.

“I’ll ask again,” said Tim. “Where. Were. You.”

“…I was hungry."

"You weren't in the kitchen," said Zatanna. "I might've not heard you, but I would've definitely seen you pass by."

"I meant the storage room! There're tons of snacks in there!"

"That's ridiculous!" said Bart. "I've been keeping track and I was in there just before coming here. The only things missing were the Chicken Whizees I've been hoarding for Jaime and myself!"

"There's plenty of them! You probably just miscounted!"

"I _don't_ lose track when it comes to things needed to survive!"

"They could've been restocked!"

"Then how many did you take?"

He shook his head. "I don't know. Four? Five? Why would I even remember that?"

"Those numbers don't even remotely add up!"

"Connor," Tim said now solemnly. "If you did it, please just tell us... I don't want to drag this out any further than I already have..."

"Hold on!" said Megan. "Connor couldn't have done it! We’ve been together every single day since we’ve been here and he never left my side!”

“Not even overnight?” said Roy. “Do I need to remind everyone that Gar vouched for your innocence earlier when he pointed out that you turn it in early? Are you now saying he was wrong?” He then shifted his attention to Connor. “If Megan wasn’t asleep during the murder, then she had to be with you. But she wasn’t, was she?”

“…She wasn’t,” he said grudgingly.

“Well then, the tide’s turning against you. You have anything left to fight back with?”

“All you’re doing is pointing out possibilities!” He turned to Tim. “I still say you’re lying! Don’t forget that it could’ve been you just as much as me!”

“I hate to say it,” said Virgil, “but he’s right.”

“You’re actually taking his side!?” said Cassie. "That's practically an implied confession right there!"

He shook his head. “Like some of the worst crooks back home say, ‘You can’t prove anything!’… What I mean is that the only way you’ll get him to fess up is hard evidence…”

_But he got rid of it! Where the hell did he stash it!?_

“Artemis,” said Tim, “may I ask you something?”

“As long as you’re not gonna to try pinning the crime on me,” she said waving her hands defensively.

“Do you remember what you said earlier towards the beginning of this trial?”

“Um…that all fifteen of us could be guilty at once? I’m really doubting that’s the case now.”

“No, you said that you were, and I quote, ‘ _not_ stripping unless you can prove absolutely it’s the only way to catch the culprit’.”

“Uh, I was kind of joking when I said that…”

“Well, as it turns out, you were right. It _is_ the only way now.” He slowly turned towards the prime suspect. “Connor. Take off your shirt.”

Wally felt the clone tense up again.

“W-What!? Why!? What’ll that prove!?”

“Nobody pointed it out so far—they may not have even noticed it at all—but the Superman logo is strangely absent from your shirt. And I think everyone else here can agree that you’ve been wearing the same outfit every day. What a coincidence that you suddenly decided to change it up…”

“S-So? What does my shirt have to do with anything?”

He sighed and looked away. “Kaldur, Jason. What was inside Connor’s closet?”

Jason smirked. “Black t-shirts, all identical with the Big Ol’ Boy Scout’s symbol of hope.”

“Now then, what’s the likelihood of that shirt you’re wearing being the only one that’s different from the rest of them?”

Connor only grunted.

“Extremely low. The only alternative is…you’re wearing it inside-out. And why are you doing that, exactly? Well…I think we may have figured out how you disposed of what was missing from the crime scene.”

“You wiped up the blood with your shirt!” said Roy.

Tim nodded. “Now if you would just turn your shirt inside-out again and show us that there _aren’t_ any traces of blood on it, then this would prove your innocence. Granted, you could’ve washed some of it out by now, but you couldn’t have possibly cleaned all of it without utilizing the laundry room and creating more evidence against yourself.”

Again, no response.

“If you’re not going to do it,” Wally said coldly with a tighter grip, “I’ll do it for you…”

After a short stare-down, Connor finally but silently relented. The scowl he wore vanished as he slowly pulled Wally’s arms away from himself. He then grimaced as he followed Tim’s demands and held out his shirt with the logo now correctly facing towards them. Wally was quick to swipe it from him.

“…It’s stained.”

Connor continued to avoid looking at anyone else, instead choosing to stare at the floor with clenched fists.

“Just…why?” asked Zatanna. “Did you really hate Dick that much?”

He shook his head. “No. He was just…in the wrong place at the wrong time. He came up to me in the library and started talking. He asked me to keep him company while he grabbed some books Tim had recommended. I couldn’t bring myself to refuse. Then he grabbed the rigged book…”

“And that’s when the crime took place?” asked Kaldur.

“He said he wanted to check it out, but I convinced him to go tell the others first. While he was focused on watching the bookshelf slide back into place, I…stomped on his leg. I think you know the rest…”

“You really wanted to get out of here that bad, man?” asked Virgil.

“…Cadmus…is my home. It’s all I’ve ever known.”

“Cadmus?” asked Cassie.

“Wait a minute,” said Jaime. As others turned towards him, the boy repeated the word “Cadmus” to himself multiple times. “The newspapers! You’re the one who left them out on the table!”

Connor nodded.

“Explain,” said Roy.

“I didn’t it was important back then, but… One of the articles was about a fire breaking out at a research facility in D.C and one of the buildings collapsing because of a rampaging monster. That place’s name? Cadmus Labs…”

“You believed your home was in trouble,” said Kaldur. “Your family may have been victims...”

“I think I should also mention that Cadmus was put under new management after the incident revealed that some illegal, if not unethical, experiments were being performed there.”

“I needed to know what happened,” Connor continued. “I live _because_ of Cadmus! It is my home!”

“But did you really have to resort to murder?” said Kaldur. “Did you not say that you were created to replace Superman? If so, do you not aspire to live up to his ideals and everything he stands for?”

Connor finally raised his head, clearly shaken by those words.

“Ask yourself, ‘What would Superman do?’ Would he really approve of what has transpired here?”

The clone only looked down in defeat, soon clutching his head in full realization of what he had done.

**“It appears you have come to a decision. Now, let’s proceed with the voting process. On your screens are portraits of your fellow peers. Simply select the one you believe to be the culprit. As I said earlier, the majority will be your collective answer.”**

Everyone’s monitors expanded to show the full selection. Some were quick to make their selection while others were hesitant. However, it was clear that they all made the same choice. All except the culprit who didn’t pick an option at all.

**“Fourteen votes for Connor Kent. One vote undecided.”**

At that moment, the monitors lit up as a celebratory animation of confetti raining down began to play. It was accompanied by a similarly cheerful tune, yet no one was smiling.

“So,” said Artemis, “are we really executing him?”

**“Those are the rules.”**

“Please!” said Megan. “Can’t we just…lock him away somewhere he can’t hurt anyone anymore?”

“What do you think this place is?” asked Jason.

**“The culprit knew full well the consequences of his actions. Therefore, he shall be punished accordingly. Now then, let us begin…”**

With those words, the room turned pitch-blacked. A few of the group began calling out for each other. Wally himself felt Kaldur grab his arm, but it seemed nothing else was happening.

“Hold on!” said Jason. “Make sure that bastard didn’t make a run for it!”

Wally quickly put an arm out to his left only to grab still air.

“He’s gone!”

He urged Kaldur to let go and moved forward with his arms out. By the time he found another person, the arms were much too skinny to be Connor’s.

“Megan? Is that you?”

“Y-Yes. I believe so. What happened to Connor?”

Before he could answer, the lights came back on and Wally found himself gripping the Martian’s wrist and elbow. Everyone else was partially scattered around the circle. Yet when Wally let go and turned around, all he found was an empty space where the clone had been.

“He got away!” said Jason.

“Um, I don’t think so,” said Gar. “He’s on the screens.”

Everyone quickly returned to their stands if they weren’t already there. A seemingly live video feed of a still shirtless and confused Connor was now playing. A message was briefly overlaying the screen.

* * *

  ** _> Connor Kent has been found guilty_**

**_> Commencing execution…_ **

* * *

The camera slowly zoomed out to reveal Connor having being placed in some kind of research lab. The boy himself was trapped inside a liquid containment tube with multiple electrodes attached to his body. He was desperately banging on the glass, apparently unable to breath. Yet the glass never shattered. Connor’s struggling only made things worse as the wires became even more tangled and restricted his movements.

At that moment, an alarm began to sound as the lights turned red. A hatch in the tube flew open with the liquid pouring out and dragging Connor along with it. The clone coughed as he pushed himself up and started removing the wires still wrapped around his arms and legs.

It was then he looked up to the sound of another hatch opening. The camera zoomed out to reveal dozens of tubes surrounding him, each of them containing another version of Connor.

These clones were different. The most obvious difference was what they wore, a white skin-tight jumpsuit bearing Superman’s logo. While some were perfect replicas of Connor, most of them had some kind of deformity or unique feature. Some were shorter than the rest, others had a missing limb, and more than a few of them had the wrong skin or hair colors. Nevertheless, the clones much calmer as they waited for the liquid to drain before stepping out. Once free, they began gathering around Connor.

Connor himself drew a defensive stance. It was then that a black-eyed clone attacked him with a roar. They exchanged a few blows, but neither ever landing a solid hit. They seemed to be evenly matched, but as soon as Connor managed to toss his opponent aside, another clone joined the fray. It didn’t take long for the others to follow.

Eventually, Connor found himself pinned to the floor and at the receiving end of an endless stream of punches and kicks from all directions. His only form of release was the sound of a different alarm going off. However, this one had a more direct influence on everyone present.

The lights had turned bright green.

**PROJECT “KR” HAS BEEN COMPROMISED**

**PROTOCOL OMEGA INITIATED**

**ACTIVATING KRYPTONITE SUPRESSION FIELD**

When Connor could see again, his assailants were staggering back trying to shield themselves from the radiation. However, they were clearly more affected than he was. Most were barely able to stand while other were crying out in pain. A few of them made no movement at all.

Connor slowly pushed himself back up and looked around for an escape route. Just ahead was a set of double doors. He limped towards them while carefully avoiding the other clones desperately reaching out to him. Just before he reached the exit, Connor collapsed. As he laid on the floor, he started to crawl. When he could no longer manage that, he dragged himself.

Despite the hard struggle, Connor finally made it as the door’s sensors registered his presence and slid open. The clone summoned the last bit of strength to toss himself through. When the doors closed behind him, Connor seemed able to pull himself together again. However, he was still heavily exhausted, only managing to sit himself back up against a nearby wall.

He was panting heavily and examining the severity of his injuries. He was bleeding and some injuries were already swelling, but he should’ve been fine as long as he received immediate medical attention. His sigh of relief was short-lived however, the sound of footsteps perked his ears.

Connor didn’t even bother looking up, apparently too tired to do so. He waited until the approaching figure stood right in front of him, and even then Connor only saw his feet. After a few more deep breaths, he started to look up.

Whoever he was, he wore red boots, a red cape, red trunks, and printed on his blue suit was…

Connor could only stare back in both horror and bewilderment. He didn’t resist as the Man of Steel silently propped him back up and spun him around. He didn’t move as hands wrapped around his head. Finally, he didn’t speak as his body dropped to the floor, eyes still bearing that initial stare.

* * *

The room was silent once again as everyone stared at the monitors in shock. The only person who seemed to have been spared from witnessing the brutality was Gar whose eyes were being shielded by La’gaan. Megan had broken down in tears and collapse into Roy’s arms. The others were looking at their screens with either wide-eyed or jaw-dropped expressions.

After what just happened, there was one thing they could all agree on.

Connor Kent was dead…

* * *

**14 HEROES REMAIN**


End file.
